


Chocolate Dreams and Coffee Mornings

by megsd89



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/M, Love at First Sight, R Plus L Does Not Equal J
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:29:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29439030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megsd89/pseuds/megsd89
Summary: Dany runs a chocolate and coffee shop with her best friend Missy, and Jon is the CFO of his family’s large financial firm. It’s love at first sight for both of them, but a series of mishaps and misunderstandings threatens to keep them apart.This is a fluffy but angsty Valentine’s Day one shot with a smutty happy ending. Perfect reading on the holiday for sweethearts.
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 22
Kudos: 131





	Chocolate Dreams and Coffee Mornings

**Author's Note:**

> This was floating around in my brain for a few weeks and wouldn't leave me alone so I had to get it out. It's a little angsty but definitely has a happy ending.
> 
> It got away from me a little bit. It ended up being nearly twice as long as I originally planned, but it's worth the read.
> 
> Have a great Valentine's Day lovelies!! 💕
> 
> Thanks AbstractlySyndey for beta reading this as well. You're the best!!

Dany groaned as she stood up from bending into the display case. It was only ten in the morning, but she was already sore and covered with chocolate. She placed a hand on her back as she stretched against the counter. She smiled softly as she looked over the familiar mid-morning crowd. Students packed several of the tables, typing away on their laptops thanks to the free wifi. Olenna Tyrell held court at the largest table in front of the window, her dedicated coffee group surrounding her with the regular gossip. There was a short line at the coffee counter, filled with people getting their second or even third caffeine shots of the day. The smell of coffee and chocolate wafted through the air and contentment wrapped around Dany.

The Dragon’s Sweet Tooth was Dany’s labor of love. The chocolate and coffee shop was perfectly situated on the old square in downtown King’s Landing, the perfect spot for tourists and businessmen, not to mention students from the nearby university. The spot was highly coveted, and she won it in a national competition. The judges had been looking for the next best sweets and her Dracarys chocolates had won everyone over. Two years later, and the dragon shaped dark chocolates complete with fiery chili flakes were still a bestseller. Combining her candy making and baking skills along with her best friend Missandei’s ability to make the best coffee in the world had made them very successful.

She looked down at the full display case, the pastries and chocolates had been completely restocked and they were ready for the after-lunch crowd. Dany looked over to see if the barista needed any help. It was still weird for her to look over to the other counter and not see Missy standing at the various coffee machines. Her best friend was on maternity leave and would be for the foreseeable future. Instead, a tall redhead smiled at customers as she filled various orders. Sansa was gorgeous, nice, and definitely knew her coffee but Dany had yet to truly get to know the new employee. She knew the younger woman was originally from the North, had several siblings, and was able to identify a coffee blend by region, but that was the extent of her knowledge.

“Darlings!” Dany looked over at Olenna who was holding her cup up high in the air above her. For any other customer, she would have told them to fuck off and come up to the counter for their refill, but Dany had a special spot for Olenna. When she opened the shop two years ago it was Olenna and her elite circle of friends who really had expanded her client base. Olenna’s granddaughter Margaery was a popular influencer online and also frequented the shop and so together the Tyrell women were single-handedly responsible for making her shop a must stop for both the older and younger crowds.

Dany walked over behind Sansa and grabbed the pot of their house brew. Sansa smiled happily and moved out of Dany’s way as she walked by. “Thank you.” Sansa said with a laugh. “She scares me.”

Dany chuckled at her young barista. “Olenna’s all bark. Unless you get her order wrong. Missy did that once and now Olenna won’t let her fill her coffee cup without growling at her.” Sansa looked terrified at the information. Missy was an award-winning barista and didn’t get orders wrong often.

Olenna looked particularly interested in Dany today as she made her way toward her table. “Dany dear, you look tired.”

Dany fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Thank you, Olenna, just what every woman wants to hear.”

Olenna scoffed and waved her hand at the young woman. “I simply mean that you’re obviously working hard and need a break. When is the last time you’ve been out with a man?”

Dany ground her teeth together and fought the urge to snap back at Olenna. So it had been a dry spell and her best friend in the nightstand at home was getting a work out lately, that didn’t mean she needed a man. She smiled at the older woman. “Olenna, you of all people should know that a man is not necessary to live a full and beautiful life.”

“At my age, maybe, but you’re too young and beautiful to be going without darling. We must find you someone to spend some private time with.” Olenna finished and looked at her gaggle of girlfriends with a devious smirk.

Dany smiled graciously but let the subject drop, walking around the table and topping off the various women’s cups. She was just heading back to the counter when the bell over the door drew Dany’s attention and she turned to greet the incoming customer. Her breath froze in her lungs as she met the eyes of the man who walked into her shop.

He was easily the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He filled out his gray suit with obvious muscles in his upper arms and torso and his pants fit his fit thighs perfectly. The thin black tie hung from his neck over a crisp white shirt. The man knew how to wear a suit. His curly black hair was half held back, and he was just hanging up his cell phone as he entered. Just when she remembered to breathe his eyes met hers and he smiled gently. She felt like the world stopped turning. She felt like she had been run over by a truck, her entire body frozen in the middle of her beloved shop. He stood for a long moment staring back at her and a nearly visible electric current ran between them.

It took her a long moment to realize that the silence of the shop wasn’t her imagination. Olenna Tyrell and her ladies had all stopped and were obviously ogling the new arrival, the reaction spurred Dany into action. “Can I help you?” She asked the gorgeous man in front of her.

“Actually…” He began. Whatever he was about to say though would remain a secret because at that moment Sansa exclaimed from behind the coffee counter.

“Jon!” Sansa squealed and a smile lit up the man’s face as he turned toward the redhead.

“Hey, Sans.” He answered with a low northern drawl. He turned as if to speak to Dany but seemed at a loss for words as he nodded toward Sansa, indicating he would be talking to her new coworker.

Dany could feel a flush move up her neck and into her face as the man, Jon, approached Sansa. She watched as Sansa reached over the counter to hug the man and place a soft kiss on his cheek. Dany knew that Sansa had a boyfriend and that he was a successful businessman at her family’s famous financial firm, Stark Holdings, but she didn’t expect the man she had fallen in love with at first glance to be Sansa’s boyfriend. Dany felt the heat coming off of her skin and knew that she must be blushing furiously. She took a deep breath and snuck into the kitchen before she had to watch Sansa and Jon continue to interact.

Dany took deep breaths as she stood at the cold metal tables. She just groaned and pressed her burning face into the gleaming table before her. “Geez Dany. Fall for another girl’s man right in front of her.” She whispered to herself. Her love life had been a disaster through the last few years. Daario had been the last man she’d given any time to and he had been furious that she had to spend so much time at work when they first opened the shop. He loved being the center of her attention and did not like sharing with her business. He also didn’t like chocolate, which looking back at it, should have been a huge red flag. She briefly wondered what Jon thought of chocolate. She groaned yet again. “He’s taken, you idiot.” She berated herself softly.

A few minutes later the door signaled the arrival of several more customers and the noise in the shop was too much to ignore any longer, so Dany took a deep breath for courage and returned to the inside of Sweet Tooth. Just as she made her way out of the kitchen, she saw Jon exiting, coffee in hand with another man by his side. The other man also had dark hair and was about the same height as Jon, but his face wasn’t as angular, and his suit didn’t fill out quite like Jon’s did. They obviously knew each other and were deep in conversation. As the door closed behind them Jon turned and looked into the shop one last time. To Dany’s surprise he didn’t look for Sansa, but instead met her eyes directly through the glass, his gaze boring into hers.

“Dany!” Sansa called and she guiltily turned toward her employee. “Can you take this couple? They’re looking for a selection of chocolates to take home?”

Dany blushed again and faced the older couple, obviously tourists and helped them make their selection. A few more customers needed pastries or the light sandwiches they served at lunchtime before a small break in customers happened again. The students had mostly cleared out and Olenna’s coffee group was dispersing. Dany took the time to wipe down the tables and sweep up the debris. She had a cleaning crew that came in after closing, but if she didn’t keep up during the day the floors quickly filled with crumbs. As she moved toward the table that had held the large coffee social group, Olenna once again eyed her speculatively. “He’s quite the specimen, isn’t he?”

“Who’s that?” Dany played dumb, not wanting to admit the instant chemistry she had felt with her barista’s boyfriend.

“Jon Snow. He’s the CFO of Stark Holdings. He just moved down here maybe three months ago. Margaery is dating his cousin, but they’re both delicious.” Olenna said with a chuckle. “I had actually hoped Robb would be staying in King’s Landing, but Margaery moved to Winterfell for him instead.” The older woman rolled her eyes. “What can you do? Now I have to find new ways to meddle.”

“Hmm.” Dany subtly agreed with her and nodded her head. She worked hard to school her expression. He was in a high-ranking financial position at Sansa’s family firm, he definitely had to be her boyfriend.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur as the usual crowd was joined by new customers looking for something to keep them warm on their commute home with the weather turning. It was the sweet spot between Thanksgiving and Christmas when shoppers were out in droves and customers craved chocolate to go with their festive moods. Before Dany knew it, it was time to close and she and Sansa were packaging up the leftover pastries. Dany would deliver them to a homeless shelter on her way home. The tradition had started early on in her business life and she wanted to keep it up.

“I’m glad you got to see Jon today.” Sansa’s voice slipped through Dany’s single-minded cleaning effort. “He’s been promising to come in for weeks. He loves everything cocoa. Chocolate, coffee, anything dark and bitter really.” Dany smiled at Sansa but quickly turned back to her task, not wanting to discuss Sansa’s perfect boyfriend and the undeniable attraction she’d felt for him. “He was really looking forward to trying the Dracarys chocolates, but I guess he’ll have to next time since you disappeared into the kitchen.”

Dany blushed at that. “I didn’t disappear! I had work to do.” She denied quickly.

“That’s okay, I’m sure he’ll be back.” Sansa said teasingly.

“I’m sure your boyfriend will be in frequently.” Dany said, trying not to sound sullen.

An interesting look crossed Sansa’s face but was gone before Dany could catch the expression. “Yes, he will be. He can never stay away for long. I’m just sorry his visit was so quick today.” She smiled and wagged her eyebrows at Dany. Dany tried really hard to smile back at Sansa but was afraid all that crossed her face was a grimace. She was going to have to get over this connection with Jon if she wanted the redhead to continue working for her. They had searched long and hard for Missy’s replacement and she was sure her business partner and best friend would kill her if she ran Sansa out the door.

Sighing deeply Dany made the decision to impose on her best friend, the only one who could possibly help her sort out this mess. She and Sansa locked up the store, the cleaning crew would arrive in another hour, and parted ways with a smile and wave. Dany stopped by the shelter, handing over the pastries and then picked up a bottle of red wine from the corner market before heading to the apartment a few train stops away owned by her two best friends.

Grey smiled graciously as he opened the door for her a half hour later. “Perfect timing Dany. I just finished making dinner and I made just enough for a pregnant lady, her husband, and their best friend.”

She blushed instantly. It wasn’t every day that she showed up there at dinner time, but it was probably more frequent than was considered polite. Grey never judged her though and always made her food so she could sit with the only person she called family in Westeros. Missandei was truly a beautiful person, inside and out and she and Dany had been best friends since childhood. While Dany had an unusual obsession with chocolate growing up, Missy had found her true love in coffee. That was until Grey became her truest love. The two had been married for almost three years and Missy was ready to pop with their first child, a girl, expected right at Christmas time. She was sitting on their couch in a very fluffy sweater and leggings, her dinner perched on her large belly as she sat with the TV on softly in the background.

“Hey momma.” Dany greeted, smiling at her best friend.

Missy groaned as she looked up at her. “Did you bring that wine just to brag? I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without it!” Dany felt instantly guilty and tried to hide it behind her back, but Missy just laughed. “Just drink one for me too.”

Dany chuckled and nodded. She dished herself up some pasta and poured herself a generous glass of wine before settling on the couch with Missy. Grey also settled in the living room but closer to the TV to give them some semblance of privacy. “You know, if I ever get married, I’m definitely finding someone that will be a best friend for Grey, so he doesn’t have to feel left out when we hang out.” She said with a chuckle.

“Good plan.” Missy said with twinkling eyes as she looked at her husband. Dany refrained from groaning. They were so lovestruck even after five years together. They were everything she wanted out of a relationship. Sometimes she thought that’s why she had tried so hard with Daario, but he was never going to be what she needed, and Missy had seen that from very early in their relationship.

“Do you want to tell me why you brought red wine tonight?” Missy asked seriously. Dany winced. Red wine was for depressing things. White wine was their go to happy drink.

“I think I met my soulmate today.” Dany said melodramatically.

“Oh. Really? Then why the red?” Missy asked.

“Because he’s Sansa’s boyfriend.” Dany said miserably.

Missy made a painful face and shook her head in sympathy. “Oh no. Tell me everything.”

“He’s perfect Missy. Just absolutely gorgeous. He wears a suit like he was painted into it, carries himself with confidence, has kind eyes, and he’s sinfully hot. Our eyes met when he walked in today and every part of me was like, that’s it. That’s my man. But of course, he’s not, because he’s Sansa’s.” Dany couldn’t stand the look of sympathy in Missy’s eyes which had turned the color of milk chocolate.

“Sweetie, I’m so sorry.” Missy said. “I really like Sansa, but I can hate her for you if you want.”

Dany chuckled. “No, but thank you, I appreciate it. It’s not her fault she snagged him first. I almost wouldn’t respect her if she let him get away from her.”

Dany and Missy spent the next hour going over every detail of Jon Snow. It felt good to confess her feelings to her best friend who she knew would have her back no matter what. As desperately good as she felt about Jon, Dany wasn’t the type of girl to steal a man from someone else. She’d have to be content with appreciating him from afar. That thought just made her depressed as she returned to her own flat and collapsed onto her bed, falling asleep with lonely tears on her cheeks.

🍫❤️☕

Jon Snow shook his head for what felt like the millionth time after returning to the office from the coffee break he had taken. When his cousin Sansa insisted that he visit her for coffee, he had quickly taken her up on the offer. Sansa was the best barista he’d ever met and literally the only one who got his order perfectly correct. He liked his coffee bitter and spicy and even though she grimaced every time she made his coffee with cinnamon cream, she made it with a perfect blend. What he didn’t expect was Sansa’s boss. He had expected a demanding male chocolatier with a gruff attitude, instead what he got was perfection personified.

Dany wasn’t a man at all, in fact she was the most beautiful woman Jon had ever seen. The first moment their eyes connected would be forever seared in his memory. Her violet eyes ringed with full lashes and her silver hair that shone in the sunlight. Her skin was pale and soft, but she had a lively flush to her cheeks. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about her was the streaks of chocolate covering her apron and even little specks on her cheek. A small smudge of it had been at the corner of her mouth and he had to fight against every instinct to lean forward and lick it off. It was like a puzzle had clicked together perfectly in his heart and mind and suddenly the world was a different place.

Sansa had distracted him from the vision in front of him by calling him forward for his coffee and he was devastated to see that the silver-haired beauty had disappeared while he greeted his cousin. He had lingered as long as he dared, hoping she’d return to the shop from the kitchen before he was forced to leave. If Sansa knew why he had stalled, she didn’t say anything. He hadn’t been standing and waiting long before Podrick showed up. While he generally liked the VP of marketing and Sansa’s boyfriend, he was extremely put out when the man basically forced him back to the office with an emergency.

Now here he was, hours later with his cold coffee sitting on his desk and trying not to think about his cousin’s boss, which was fruitless. After handling the crisis, which consisted of misfiled paperwork from the month before he had arrived in King’s Landing, Jon packed up his stuff and left the office. He deliberately walked by The Dragon’s Sweet Tooth and was disappointed to see it closed for the night. He decided to work his frustration out at the gym instead.

Tormund Giantsbane was Jon’s first new friend in King’s Landing. He had searched for a gym immediately when arriving and found the giant man running an elite facility near his downtown apartment. The man’s Northern brogue had been welcoming after his reluctant arrival in the south. Tonight was no different as he greeted Jon into the space.

“Snow!” Tormund shouted at him from one of the weight machines near the back. Jon raised his hand in reciprocation and moved to scan his ID at the front desk. “Here to work out the kinks of being trapped in that cell you call an office.”

“It has windows Tormund, lots of them. It’s hardly a cell.” Jon said, continuing the tired argument.

Tormund shrugged. “They’d have to chain me to one if they wanted me to work at a desk.”

Jon met the eye of the desk attendant in amusement. It was no secret that Tormund refused to work the station, instead preferring to walk the floor or train customers. “Actually, I do have a bit more frustration than usual.” Jon said.

“Ahhh.” Tormund answered, wagging his eyebrows. “Lady troubles.” Jon blushed as he shook his head quickly, but the redhead just laughed at him. “Well, tell me about her. You’ve never mentioned a girl before.”

“I’m going to need at least a 30-minute run before I start talking to you about it.” Jon responded.

Tormund picked up on his mood and allowed Jon to make his way to the changing room. He quickly changed and turned his phone on silent before locking it away. Returning to the gym, he stretched and then settled on a treadmill to start his evening run, watching the TV in front of him. To his utter embarrassment he nearly tripped and fell as his eyes settled on the fourth screen. He quickly found his rhythm again, but the mishap didn’t go unnoticed as his friend made his way over.

“Forget how to run, Snow?” Tormund grinned as he picked up the treadmill next to Jon’s.

Jon simply shook his head and then indicated the fourth screen. “Do you know what that program is?”

“Some baking competition. This is an old series. The pretty silver haired one wins.” Tormund said. Jon eyed him as if shocked Tormund would know the results. Tormund quickly held up his hands in a defensive gesture. “Hey, that channel always plays the same shows! I’m surprised people still like to watch them, but some of the customers get mad when I change that channel. It’s not my fault I’m forced to watch it.”

Jon just shook his head and returned his attention to the screen and became engrossed in watching a slightly younger version of the woman he met today bake a ridiculously complicated cake complete with sugar snowflakes. Jon learned her full name for the first time as it flashed across the screen. Daenerys. He was so enamored that he was surprised when the timer went off to signal the end of his run. He chose a weight machine so he could continue working out as he watched Dany win that week’s competition. The series would continue and obviously at the end she would be victorious according to Tormund.

“So I’m guessing by the way you can’t tear your eyes away that this is the reason for the tension today?” Tormund asked and pointed to the screen. Jon looked at him wondering at the deduction. Tormund must have sensed the question on Jon’s tongue. “She’s got a shop not far from here. I like her chocolates. Plus, she’s a sweetheart. First time I met her and told her I owned a gym she made me these oat bars that are really good and healthy. Now, I recommend them to all my clients. How’d you meet her?”

“My cousin is working as her barista.” Jon said slightly out of breath after his reps.

“The new redhead?” Tormund questioned and Jon nodded. Tormund returned the gesture and added, “she’s talented. I have a soft spot for Missy, but your cousin’s pretty darn good.”

“Missy?” Jon asked.

“The regular barista. She owns the shop with Dany. Really funny that one. She’s heavy with her first child and they brought your cousin in to cover for her.” Tormund explained.

“Just how often do you go to their shop?” Jon asked, chuckling.

“Once or twice…a day.” Tormund confessed. “Don’t worry Snow. I won’t say anything about your little crush. I’m sure you’ll make enough of a fool out of yourself over that one.” Tormund used his thumb to point over his shoulder at the screen that had started playing the next episode and Dany was concentrating on her current concoction.

By the time Jon left the gym, most of his tension was gone, whether it was the workout or the influx of information on the gorgeous chocolatier he wasn’t sure. He made it to his apartment which was in the same building as Podrick and Sansa’s, but nearly eight floors above it. The view was incredible and the only reason he liked his space. Jon was used to open spaces and being low to the ground and so was his companion. Ghost’s nails clicked against the hardwood floors as he made his way to Jon. The dogwalker he’d hired would have taken him out a few hours ago but he would need another walk later. Jon quickly undressed and took a shower and settled on the couch with a leftover takeaway.

It had been a long day and not for the first time Jon found himself staring out over King’s Landing reflecting on the series of events that brought him to the busy city and away from his beloved North. Six months ago, Jon’s uncle, the President and CEO of Stark Holdings had died suddenly from a heart attack leaving not only his family reeling, but also his company. After a long debate it was decided that Jon would take the position of CFO and Robb, Jon’s cousin and Ned’s son would take over as President and CEO. The problem, the CFO position required that person to live in King’s Landing and work from the office in downtown.

Robb had held the position before him, Jon had been a VP like Podrick, and they both had worked in Winterfell. Robb decided he wanted to move back home, and Jon had, under intense pressure, decided to step up as CFO and move south. While Robb’s girlfriend Margaery had moved north for him, Jon’s girlfriend had completely flipped out. Ygritte had no intention of leaving the North and instead of simply telling Jon, she had cheated on him and dumped him for making the decision to step up in his family. His family had taken it as a sign that she wasn’t the right girl for him, but Jon had just felt bitter about the whole thing. Jon’s mother, Lyanna had been Ned’s sister and when she’d passed away from cancer when Jon was 15, he’d been taken in by Ned and his wife Catelyn. Both were terrific surrogate parents for him, but he often got the raw end of the deal compared to his cousins.

The rest of them would have jumped at the chance to live in King’s Landing, in a penthouse apartment and work from a corner office but he would have been content to continue life in Winterfell. Just his luck that he was the one who ended up here. The day’s encounter with the beautiful baker was the first time he actually felt grateful for his move down south. Content in his knowledge that he had a woman to look forward to getting to know, Jon relaxed the rest of the night and found himself sleeping soundly.

Jon found himself awake abruptly the next morning with a stiff reminder of his dream the night before. Sansa’s boss, the gorgeous Dany, had starred center stage in his fantasy. There had been chocolate everywhere. They had both been covered in it and had spent a good amount of time licking it off one another. It was one of the dirtiest dreams he’d had in a really long time and he quickly took himself in hand to relieve the pressure down below.

“I am so screwed.” Jon mumbled to himself as he glanced into the kitchen at The Dragon’s Sweet Tooth. He had come in for his morning coffee, or at least that’s what he’d told himself when he walked into the shop. Sansa was continuously filling orders, this time with a second barista, as Dany was preparing the next batch of chocolates in the kitchen, just barely visible from his line of sight. He nearly groaned out loud as he watched the liquid chocolate pour from the bowl in her hands and down into the mold on the table in front of her. It was almost an exact scene from last night’s dream, but in his dream, they were both naked.

“Ahem.” He quickly refocused as he heard a throat clear loudly in front of him. Sansa was watching him with amusement as he stepped up to her counter. His face was hot, knowing he’d been caught checking out her boss. “The usual, Jon?” Sansa asked with deceptive sweetness.

Jon narrowed his eyes at his cousin. Even though they’d run in completely different circles in their youth, her father’s death had brought everyone in the family closer together over the last year and he felt genuine affection roll over him at her gentle teasing. “Yes, thank you.” He reached in his wallet to pull out his credit card and asked, “how are you this morning?”

Sansa smiled, Jon thought she was considerably happier down south than he’d ever seen her and was suddenly grateful he’d insisted Podrick come with him to King’s Landing. “I’m doing great! I love the shop, and Dany is so sweet.” She leaned forward as if about to tell him a big secret. “Did you know she takes her extra pastries to a homeless shelter at the end of the day? How awesome is that?”

Jon got distracted as the subject of their discussion and the star of his very erotic dreams came out from kitchen. His eyes followed her as she made her way to the other counter that held the shop’s pastries and chocolates. “Very awesome.” Jon answered Sansa, barely mumbling.

Sansa laughed loudly and nearly everyone in the shop turned to look at her, including Dany. Her eyes met his briefly before she quickly turned to the customer in front of her. He sighed. “Thanks for that, Sans.”

“You’re most welcome.” Sansa replied primly. She turned to start on his coffee, and he moved to the end of the counter where pickup was. “Why don’t you go and order some chocolates and I’ll bring your coffee to you over there?” Sansa whispered to him.

He smiled at her and plucked up his courage. As he walked to the other counter, he could feel eyes on him. Turning around, he spotted the same group of older ladies at the large table by the window that had been there yesterday. Jon recognized Olenna Tyrell of course, and several other women were the mothers or grandmothers of other affluential young people. Right now, he was the object of their scrutiny as they all tracked his movements across the shop. He couldn’t help but shiver. He knew he was an attractive man, and he made a lot of money. He would be a prime candidate for a lot of these women to marry their daughters and granddaughters. In fact, that was how Robb had met Margaery. Olenna Tyrell had seized the opportunity and before anyone knew it, Robb was plucked out of his wild ways and happily monogamous with Olenna’s granddaughter.

Jon swallowed hard as he stood in line behind a group of gaggling girls. Given their matching shirts and the backpacks strapped to them, they were all part of the same touring company, likely on a school trip. He watched with amusement as the teenagers reached the counter and then started squealing as they came face to face with Dany. Several of them demanded pictures and one of the girls turned so they could get a selfie with the famous baker. If Jon wasn’t mistaken, Dany did not appreciate the attention, but she was gracious and allowed them to take the picture. The girls took a long moment, examining the case in front of them and Sansa came up behind him with his coffee. She turned to him with a smile and whispered in his ear. “This is a daily occurrence. She handles it really well, but I think she’d rather just be left alone. They’ll take up a lot of time and in the end, they’ll all just want some Dracarys chocolates and then move on. Happens every time.”

Sure enough, one of the girls said, “I really just want the Dracarys chocolates.” Suddenly, all the other girls echoed the statement and Dany went to package up the dark morsels into a cute bag.

Jon turned to Sansa. “What are the Dracarys chocolates?”

Sansa laughed, quietly this time. “You’re so clueless.” She said, putting her hand on his arm. “The Dracarys chocolates are the ones she won the competition with. They’re a dark chocolate infused with chili flakes. Bitter and spicy, and nearly everyone’s favorite.” Jon’s breath caught in his throat and he turned to look at Dany behind the counter. She was in the middle of handing back change to the girls, but she was watching him and Sansa. A weird look crossed her face, but before he could place it, she smiled at the girls and wished them well. Sansa chuckled at his reaction and kissed him on the cheek. “Your face is a picture. I’ve got to get back behind the counter but have a good day.”

He turned to her and smiled. “Thanks, Sansa.”

It was finally Jon’s turn at the counter, and he walked up to the glass. Dany smiled politely at him and his head started to spin. She was so gorgeous, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she smelled like chocolate. This woman was every fantasy he’d ever had. “Hi.” She said, breaking the silence first.

“Hello.” He answered back with a smile. They both stood for a long moment, staring at each other as if they didn’t know what to say.

“What can I get you?” Dany asked finally.

He was tempted to answer with “you”, but he thought that might be too forward. Instead, he looked down at the case. “My friends have recommended several things.”

“Oh?” Dany said, her head tilting. “Who are your friends?”

“Well, Sansa…and Tormund Giantsbane.” He said cautiously.

Dany burst out in laughter. It was a smooth and rich tone, just like a good bar of milk chocolate and Jon nearly groaned. He was totally nuts for this woman and he’d spent all of five minutes in the same space as her and they’d only exchanged maybe twenty words. “Why is that funny?” He asked with a smile.

“Do you know Tormund from his gym?” She asked. He nodded in response and she continued to chuckle. “He continues to recommend my oat bars to people, and while I approve obviously, he comes in and buys a ridiculous amount of chocolate and pastries.” She giggled again. “I just think it’s hilarious that he insists his clients eat the healthy version, but he comes in and nearly buys me out once a week. You know, there for a while I thought he was only coming in for Missy, but when she became obviously pregnant, he still kept coming.”

“I’ll have to tease him about his sweets addiction the next time I see him.” Jon responded with a chuckle of his own. Jon paused as he felt a vibration from his pocket. He pulled out his phone and groaned. He only had thirty minutes before he needed to be on a conference call. “I’m so sorry, I’m running a little late. Can I just get an assorted box?”

She smiled her professional smile at him. Warm but aloof. He took note of that, when she had been talking about Tormund she had opened up and given him a personal and sweet smile. He wanted the personal one. She pulled on a new pair of gloves and grabbed a box. “Any preference?” She asked.

He shrugged. “I love all chocolate. Surprise me.” That statement brought back the real smile in full force. She turned from him and reached under the counter to start piecing together his order. He watched as she selected a Dracarys, but also several others. The box held six and each one she picked was different.

“You’ll have to let me know what you like and what you don’t so I can get you a custom order going.” She said, smiling. He liked that she didn’t assume he’d like everything and was genuinely interested in her customer’s opinions. “Will do.” He said with a smile as he swiped his card on the reader. “Thank you, Dany.”

She smiled, this time with a blush and duck of her head. “You’re welcome…”

“Jon.” He finished for her.

She nodded. “Jon.”

🍫❤️☕

The next few weeks passed in a blur for Dany. Christmas decorations went up and nearly every drink any candy had to have caramel or peppermint added to it for the season. She was trying a variation of a sea salt caramel chocolate cookie but couldn’t quite get what she was looking for. One morning at her usual start time of 3 am, she got a phone call from Sansa who was barely audible. She was sick, a cold most likely, but harmful enough that it would keep her from work. Dany was frustrated, but what could she do? She didn’t want the girl coming in sick. She sighed and gave up her experimentations, preparing for a day down her star barista. She called in another teenager who worked for her part time, luckily it was the weekend, and started the morning bakes.

She was deep into making what felt like her millionth pumpkin spice drink of the day when she heard someone call her name from the other side of the counter. There stood Jon Snow. It was rare to see him on weekends. During the week he was there almost every day for his coffee, but he rarely came when he didn’t have to work and judging by the casual attire, that was the situation today. While she was excited to see him, she was instantly nervous that he was there when Sansa wasn’t. “Hey Jon!” She greeted.

He smiled at her as she handed the drink over to her customer and then turned back to him. “What brings you in on a Saturday? Here to pick something up for Sansa?”

He frowned slightly. “No. Why? Is she not here today?”

Dany frowned back at him. She could have sworn that Sansa mentioned living with her boyfriend. Wouldn’t he notice when she didn’t leave the house to come to work? “I thought you knew she called off sick today.”

He shook his head. “I know she was coming down with something. I’m sure she’ll be back at it in a couple of days, she’s never been one to stay sick for long.” He smiled at her again and she had to grab the counter to stay upright. That smile was dangerous.

“What can I get you then?” She asked.

“Well, I actually came by to ask…” Jon reached back and rubbed the nape of neck, she would never know what he was going to ask though, because at that exact moment a particular ring tone sounded from her cell phone.

“Push It” by Salt and Peppa blasted through the store from her front pocket. Dany nearly jumped a foot in the air as she dug her cell phone out and put it up to her ear. “Is it really happening?” She nearly screamed at Grey.

She heard his laughter on the other end. “Her water broke about a half hour ago, the contractions are regular, and we’re at the hospital. She didn’t want me to call you until we had an update. The doctor said it will be several hours, maybe even twelve. There’s no reason to rush.”

She knew he’d said twelve hours, in her head she heard twelve hours, but at that moment all Dany could think was that her best friend was at the hospital in labor and there was nowhere else she wanted to be. “She doesn’t want you to close down immediately.” Dany heard Grey still talking on the other line. “She says finish out the day, and then your chair is waiting for you.” Dany nodded several times while he gave instructions, looking up at a confused Jon and several anxious regular customers. “Dany? Did you hear me? Are you still there? You didn’t pass out, did you?” She nearly burst out laughing as she heard him talk to someone else on the other side of the phone. “I think she passed out.”

“I didn’t pass out. I was nodding, but I forgot you couldn’t see me.” Dany said excitedly. “I’ll finish out the day, but we’re closing tomorrow. No arguments.”

“Okay.” Grey responded. Dany moved into the kitchen as he gave further instructions, especially since she was just getting in the way of her workers. “So, we’ll see you in a few hours then.”

“Got it!” Dany said. “Do you guys need anything? Can I bring you dinner?”

“That would be great Dany, thank you. Missy can’t really eat anything, but you know my order.” Dany nodded again on her end before she said. “Yes, I do. I’ll see you when we’re done here. Love you guys! Give Missy a kiss for me!”

Grey responded in the affirmative and they hung up from their conversation. Dany stopped for a moment and just took deep breaths, looking around the kitchen. For so long Sweet Tooth had been their baby and now Missy was going to have an actual baby, a little girl to add to their family. She tried to ignore the little pang she felt whenever it seemed Missy wouldn’t have any more time for her. That was ridiculous, they were so much more than just best friends. She just wanted a man of her own. And that’s when her mind sparked back to Jon, and the fact that she had left him hanging out in the shop. She rushed out of the kitchen and quickly looked for him, but he had disappeared.

Ana, a young woman who’d worked for them part time for nearly their whole two years of operation looked at her sympathetically. “He left a few minutes ago, said to tell you he had somewhere he needed to be, but that he’d be back at his regular time next week.”

Next week when Sansa would be back. She tried not to sulk as she put away her phone. Ana knew that Jon was Sansa’s boyfriend, but she seemed to realize there was something between them and obviously didn’t have the same reservations she did. She kept encouraging her to talk to him. Ana was a sweetheart but obviously didn’t have much experience with girl code. “Was that Missy?” The younger woman asked.

The question brought Dany’s happy mood right back to the surface. She grabbed a stool and stood on top of it so she could see across the whole shop. Most of the customers today were not regulars but she spotted a few interspersed amongst the new guests. “Missy is in labor!” She shouted across the shop. All the employees and most of the regulars clapped. The rest of the patrons politely joined in, but she could see confusion on a lot of faces. Whispering across the shop began and it wasn’t long before everyone in the shop knew Missy was the co-owner of The Dragon’s Sweet Tooth. “We will continue our regular hours today, there are three more until we close, but we will remain closed tomorrow. We’ll be back open again on Monday.”

Happy cheers and well wishes continued for the next half hour while everyone currently in the shop was served and she shot quick text off to Sansa, letting her know about Missy and work the next day. The rest of the day went by fast and in her excitement over her future niece’s arrival, Dany forgot all about Jon’s quick visit. After work, she stopped by and grabbed take out for herself and Grey and headed over to the hospital.

“Trust you to look gorgeous even when in active labor.” Dany teased her best friend. She handed the box full of food to Grey as he came to her with a grateful look on his face.

“That’s an extreme exaggeration but thank you.” Missy said with an eye roll and a giggle. She sucked in her breath quickly and put a hand on her distended stomach while grabbing the handrail on the bed tightly.

“They’ve been coming every five minutes or so.” Grey said quietly, leaning into Dany. “The doctor says she’s progressing nicely and should be ready to push in another couple of hours.”

Dany winced on behalf of her friend. Neither of them had much experience with children, they’d both been the youngest in their families and hadn’t been prone to babysitting. Since learning she was pregnant, Missy had read a library’s worth of books on the subject of childbirth and child rearing. She’d passed along several to Dany and wanting to be a supportive best friend and best auntie ever, Dany had read quite a few books herself. It was nothing compared to the reality of watching her friend in labor though. Watching the whole thing actually made her quite hungry, so she sat and dug into her meal.

Missy groaned from the bed. “You both are terrible. Here I am, slaving away to bring a beloved child into the world and you’re eating our favorite takeaway.”

Grey and Dany’s eyes met over the bed and they both grinned sheepishly. “It’s been a long day…” Dany started.

“And I haven’t eaten anything yet!” Grey argued.

Missy just shook her head at her two favorite people in the world, her family. The time passed quickly with comfortable teasing happening between the three of them and the doctor came in when the contractions were just a few minutes apart. “Okay, I think we’re ready to go.” The kind female doctor said after checking Missy’s cervix. Dany and Grey dressed in gowns and took their places on either side of Missy.

Dany was determined she might never have children after watching Missy go through labor. It was the most harrowing few hours she’d ever been through with her best friend and her fingers were still blue from the lack of circulation. That changed of course when her beautiful screaming niece was placed in her arms. The tiny bundle was suddenly still as she looked up and met her eyes. Dany struggled not to cry as she looked down at little Kaela. She was gorgeous with her perfect skin and dark eyes. “Hi baby girl.” Dany said softly, stroking the baby’s cheek. Dany felt an inexplicable pull to have one of her own and quickly a man’s face surrounded by dark curly hair flashed across her vision. She gulped and bit her lip at the sudden pang of misery she felt. It was quickly remedied when the baby grabbed her finger with her own tiny ones.

Missy and Grey were obviously exhausted, and the baby was finally asleep when Dany left the hospital room, promising to be back in the morning with the greasiest breakfast imaginable for the new momma. As she made her way home alone in the darkness of the night Dany tried her best not to think of Jon Snow, but his face continued to swim in front of her vision, and she reflected on their interaction earlier in the day. What was he going to ask her? It was probably about Sansa. She resolved then to do her best to befriend the barista completely and stop fantasizing about her boyfriend.

Dany spent most of the next day with Missy and Grey at the hospital gushing over the new baby. She was so grateful to have them as part of her life, they were never selfish with their time and always welcomed them into their family unit. She tried really hard not to dwell on her growing feelings of loneliness and instead focused on the fun and joy of the new life among them.

Monday morning went the same as any other. Dany opened the kitchen at 3 am and by five both Sansa and Ana were up front running the early morning coffee rush. They worked together to package the ham and cheese croissants and mini quiches for the early patrons.

“Are you feeling better?” Dany asked Sansa, trying her best to start a friendly conversation.

Sansa looked up at her, obviously still tired, there were dark circles under the girl’s eyes. “Yes, much better. I feel like I’m just fighting off the fatigue, but most of the symptoms have disappeared. Did everything go okay on Saturday without me?”

“Of course.” Dany said happily. “Ana was here and a couple of the teens. It was busy, but we survived. I wouldn’t have made you come in if you were feeling like that.”

“I know. I just felt bad, I hate leaving you with less help.” Sansa paused for a long moment. “Did Jon stop by while I was gone?”

Dany tried really hard not to blush, but she was sure she failed. “He did. It was weird though; he didn’t know you were sick, and he left before he got to ask me whatever question he was going to. That’s when I got the call from Grey saying Missy was in labor.”

“Yeah, he checked in with me after to make sure I was okay, but he seemed a little out of sorts, I was just wondering. We’re going back to Winterfell next week to celebrate Christmas with my mother so I can find out what he wanted to ask you if you’d like.”

Dany shook her head. “No. I’m sure if it’s important he’ll catch me another time.”

Sansa just nodded and went back to filling coffee orders. Dany nearly kicked herself. He was spending the holiday with her family. How much more taken could he be? Maybe she was just really frustrated. It had been a long time since she’d had a man in her bed. She needed to get back out there and have some fun.

Dany was working in the kitchen and at nearly ten o’clock she shouted loudly from her position at the metal tables and Sansa came running in. “What’s the matter?” The redhead’s eyes were huge, and her cheeks were flushed.

Dany turned and smiled at her barista. “I finally got it! The chocolate sea salt caramel cookie!”

Sansa immediately relaxed at the news and turned to say something to Ana on the other side of the wall. “You got me that time. I seriously thought that you had burnt yourself or something.” Sansa chuckled.

Dany shook her head quickly. “Nope, but you have to try this!” Dany held out a dark brown round cookie. The soft wafer at the bottom was chocolate and was topped in Dany’s rich caramel, then the whole cookie was dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled on top was coarse grains of sea salt.

Sansa happily reached for the latest concoction and brought it to her mouth. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she bit into the succulent treat. “This is amazing!”

“I finally got the salt to caramel to chocolate ratio down!” Dany said excitedly. “The dark chocolate covering really ties it all together.”

Sansa nodded her head in agreement as she snacked on the last of the cookie. “You should take some of these out for people to taste.” She asked. “Jon’s out there, and I’m sure he’d have an opinion. He always does on anything chocolate.”

Dany busied herself with packing cookies onto a platter to avoid having to look Sansa in the eye. She carried the tray out to the shop and started making rounds. Jon was standing at the creamer station and looked up when she approached, his eyes lighting up. “Sansa suggested you try the new treat, chocolate sea salt caramel cookies.”

Jon smiled at her and reached for one. She watched his face as he bit into the cookie and she had to look away from the look in his eyes. It was the chocolate he was finding delicious, not her. “This is ridiculously good, Dany. Will they be on the menu full time?”

Dany blushed. “Probably. They’re not too hard to make, just time consuming.” She paused for a long moment. “I’m sorry about the other day. Missy’s basically my sister so her going into labor was a really big deal.”

“Of course, it was.” Jon said seriously. “I’m glad that you and your business partner are so close. I work with a lot of family and childhood friends and I know how nice it is to trust the people you work with.”

Dany suddenly felt really uncomfortable with the idea of trust and her employees. Here she was talking alone to Sansa’s unfairly hot boyfriend. “Well, I better spread the chocolate.” She said abruptly. “It was good to see you, Jon.”

“You too Dany.” Jon answered. “We’ll be heading home for Christmas tomorrow, so I’ll see you after the holiday?”

“I’ll be here.” She joked back.

“Good.” Jon replied with a direct stare into her eyes. Dany was so confused. The attraction between them was obvious and he was flaunting it in front of his girlfriend. She could feel Ana’s eyes on them and sure enough when she looked over at the counter both Ana and Sansa were watching them closely. Ana raised her eyebrows at Dany and appeared to be encouraging her to continue talking while Sansa just watched them passively.

She turned back to Jon and his intense stare. “Okay, well, see you.” She practically ran toward the large table in front of the window where Olenna and her group were having their daily meeting. “I have a new cookie to try.” She said loudly with a bright smile. If any of them noticed the flush on her cheeks they didn’t say anything, but Olenna’s sharp gaze cut between her and Jon, who was leaving the shop.

Her breath caught as his eyes met hers through the class of the window as he walked back toward his office. There was no mistaking the sexual interest there and the smirk he sent her almost melted her panties. She was in so much trouble.

🍫❤️☕

“Are you sure she’s single?” Margaery asked Sansa. “Could it be that’s she’s already seeing someone?”

“Or maybe Jon’s not as irresistible as he thinks he is.” Arya countered with a glass of whisky in hand.

Sansa rolled her eyes at her younger sister as the guys all chuckled. “I’m sure she’s single and I’m positive she’s totally into him, it was practically love at first sight for them both, but I can’t figure out why she keeps rebuffing him. She’s not at all mean to him, she doesn’t actually tell him no, but she’s obviously hesitating.”

“Maybe she hasn’t said no because Jon hasn’t actually worked up the nerve to ask her anything yet.” Podrick said with a smile. “He tried to the day you called out sick, but then her friend went into labor and he didn’t get the chance. We’re in there nearly every day and he chickens out every time. She runs back to the kitchens before he can finish a sentence.”

“He’s had plenty of other chances.” Margaery argued. “He’s been visiting the shop for nearly a month! Even my grandmother says sparks fly between them!”

“Well, maybe we’ll all have to go down to help him out.” Catelyn said from her seat in the chair by the fire. “My birthday is next month; we could come down for a weekend getaway.” She shrugged. “It’s time that boy settled down. You and Robb have been living together now for two years and he hasn’t had a girlfriend since that crazy redhead. What was her name?”

“Ygritte.” Arya groaned. “She tried to get him fired when she heard he was moving down to King’s Landing because she wanted him to stay here, and when that didn’t work, she cheated on him. She’s totally nuts.”

All the girls shuddered at the thought of the crass girl that Jon had dated for nearly three years. No one understood that relationship, they didn’t think Jon even did.

Just then Jon and Robb entered the room covered with snow and carrying new logs for the fire. “Why do we keep the firewood all the way in the back shed?” Robb asked. “It’s like a mile-long hike.”

“Normally, your father would have moved it closer to the house.” Catelyn said in a voice filled with melancholy.

Robb looked immediately guilty. “We’ll spend some time tomorrow moving it all closer to the house, okay Mom?” Jon nodded his agreement.

She smiled at both of them. “Thank you, boys. We were just talking about Sansa’s boss, Dany.”

Everyone in the room laughed as Jon ducked his head. He sighed and collapsed onto the couch next to Arya, who handed him her drink. He took a large swallow before discussing his dating dilemma. “I don’t know what to do. I’m getting so many mixed signals. She’s gorgeous, kind, funny, and really talented. She loves baking and her eyes light up anytime you talk to her about chocolate. She even smells like cocoa. I think I was struck dumb the first time I saw her, and I no longer know how to talk to women.”

“Maybe you need a palate cleanser? Go out to a club or bar and pick up a woman there.” Robb suggested.

“But that’s the thing, I don’t want to see anyone else. I’m totally hooked on her.” Jon groaned.

“Ohhh, you’ve got it bad.” Margaery said with a chuckle. “You should enlist my grandmother. She’s at the shop almost every day. She’ll fix all of this for you if you ask.”

Jon gulped at the thought of allowing the well-known “Queen of Thornes” fix his love life. This was downright embarrassing. He was in his late twenties, he had a career that paid very well, owned his own place, had a dog he took care of, why couldn’t he figure out how to date Dany? It was the one thing in his life that didn’t seem to want to come together. He thought back to the look they’d exchanged through the window in her shop a few days before. She had been so excited about her new creation earlier and had seemed genuinely interested in him, but something had made her back off. When their gazes met through the glass it was as if he were seeing underneath the layers to the woman he wanted, and the woman who wanted him right back.

“I’m not asking your grandmother for help. I’ll lose all my self-respect.” Jon answered. “Has she been getting on you about your lack of a ring, Margaery?”

Margaery blushed good naturedly and Robb cleared his throat. “Actually, we do have an announcement to make.”

Catelyn gasped from her seat and leaned forward. “Can we finally start planning a wedding?” She asked excitedly.

Robb took Margaery’s hand and turned to the rest of the family. “Margaery and I are going to have a baby.”

Sansa’s face lit up with joy and all of the people in the room started smiling in happiness, with one exception. “And…” Catelyn said fiercely.

Robb took a deep breath while Margaery shrunk back against the couch cushions. “And what, mother?”

“Robb. This is not how we do things.” Catelyn said stoically.

“We’re having a baby mother, I thought you would be thrilled.” Robb said with a sigh.

“I am thrilled. But I’d be even more thrilled if you were married before you started your family.” Catelyn said.

“Mom, we’re happy. We’re committed to each other, and we’ll get married eventually but this happened first. Neither one of us feels the rush to the altar.” Robb replied.

“You don’t feel a rush?” Catelyn deadpanned.

Arya cleared her throat loudly and then jumped up. “You know what? I think this is a deeply personal conversation between our beloved brother and future sister and our mother. We don’t need to be here, nor do I want to be here.” She turned and looked at Margaery and Robb. “We’re all very excited to meet our niece or nephew and love you both so much. We just have great self-preservation instincts.” She grinned and nearly sprinted for the door.

Collectively Jon, Sansa, Podrick, Bran, and Rickon stood and followed Arya quickly out of the room. Sansa was the only one who paused, looking at Margaery with sympathy and giving her a small smile. Podrick pulled her out of the room quickly as the voices continued to grow in volume. They all winced as Catelyn’s shrill yell could be heard through the sturdy oak doors.

The rest of them spent the next hour watching a classic horror film in the family room while they waited for World War III to subside. They all looked up as a flushed Margaery hurried into the room followed by Robb who looked irate. Catelyn entered after them with a smug look on her face. Podrick paused the movie when she stood in front of the screen, obviously expecting to make a statement. “We will all be going down to King’s Landing for my birthday in late January. Robb and Margaery are not invited. I will not be associating with them in public until they make things official. Let this be a warning to the rest of you.” She paused and stared at Sansa and Podrick and then at Jon. “That I expect that you will follow a more traditional path when it comes to building your families.”

Jon struggled really hard not to laugh. Catelyn’s bark was always worse than her bite. When they were all younger and he and Robb were constantly in trouble, it was always Catelyn who did the yelling, but Ned that actually doled out the punishment. He gave Catelyn a month before she was so overcome with joy at becoming a grandmother that she never said another word about Robb and Margaery’s marital status. “Sansa, I will expect to stay with you, and Jon you can put up your cousins.” Jon and Sansa both nodded. “And Jon, for the love of everything, talk to this girl and get your relationship sorted out.”

He cleared his throat loudly. “Aunt Cat, I…”

She leveled him with a glare. “Don’t you ‘Aunt Cat’ me, young man. You’ll never get what you want by silently wishing for it to happen.” She sighed and moved to the couch, sitting next to him and wrapping her arm around him. “We all just want you to be happy, Jon. We know it wasn’t your first choice to move down to King’s Landing, and this girl is the only thing you’ve sounded truly excited about. Don’t let her pass you by. Be more active.”

He nodded his head and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Perhaps more than anyone else, he and Catelyn had become even closer together this past year. Jon had dealt with grief when his mother died, and Catelyn joined him in grief this year with the passing of her husband. There had been long nights with cups of tea in the kitchen with her when he was a teenager and again after the funeral of his uncle. No matter her faults, his Aunt Catelyn was a very special person to him, and he knew the feeling was mutual. “And get a haircut Jon. This is out of control.” He laughed as she moved away from him.

Life back in King’s Landing after Christmas was interesting. For so long Jon had been homesick for Winterfell, but after the quick visit back to the frozen North he found that he was excited to get back to his daily routine. And get back to seeing Dany daily. He was sure it was impossible, but she was even more beautiful when he saw her again in January. He stood in line for his first cup of coffee back in the city and just stared at her as she served pastries and chocolates. He thought it was interesting that she hardly ever served coffee. The only time he’d seen her actually mixing drinks was when Sansa was out sick. He’d seen her with a coffeepot, the first time he ever saw her actually she was holding one, but she obviously didn’t care for mixing up the more complicated drinks. “Hey Dany.” He greeted her as he reached the counter with Podrick who was typing away on his phone.

“Hi Jon! How was your Christmas?” She asked jovially.

“It was great thanks. I suddenly became very appreciative of the warm weather down here though.” He chuckled. “How was yours?”

“Busy.” She said, rolling her eyes. “I’m never letting Sansa go away again. I actually had to make lattes. It was not pretty.”

He laughed out loud. “You own a coffee shop, Dany.”

She widened her pretty violet eyes at him. “No. I own a bakery and chocolate shop. The coffee is Missy’s domain, well Sansa’s currently.”

He was going to respond when Podrick gasped next to him and then grabbed his shoulder. “What is it?” He said, turning to the marketing exec.

Podrick’s eyes were wide. “We’ve got a major problem.” Pod handed him his phone while he skipped up to the counter to say goodbye to Sansa. Jon looked down at the screen. One of their major investors, Lannister Corp was having a massive fallout from some crazy news story. The CEO of Lannister was Tywin, an aging but still sharp man. He and Ned had always been on fragile footing despite their close business dealings. Apparently two of Tywin’s children, Cersei and Jaime had been caught having a love affair. With each other. Jon shivered at the terrible thought. Lannister Corp stock was free falling rapidly and would be a disaster for Stark Holdings.

He looked up to see a concerned look on Dany’s face. “I’m so sorry Dany, but I’ve got to go. It’s a work emergency. See you later?”

She smiled back at him and nodded. “Of course.” She looked as disappointed as he felt at their time being cut short. Despite the feelings of frustration, he took a little bit of solace from her reaction. Podrick returned and they rushed out the door.

Jon didn’t know that later would mean two weeks later. It took that long just to get Lannister back on its feet. Jon worked non-stop to rearrange all of their financials to make sure the stock drop didn’t affect them too bad and Podrick was working with his marketing team to try and salvage any positive image that Lannister Corp had once had. He was like a bear with a sore tooth, roaring at anyone that came near him. He could say that it was because of the incessant headache the Lannisters were, but the truth was he missed seeing Dany. He was too busy to get away in the middle of his mornings and by the time he left, the shop was closed. He now spent a lot of time at Tormund’s gym, working off the frustration or at the dog park with Ghost. He didn’t know how he’d ever get to date her if he never saw her again.

It was now the end of January, and his apartment was full of Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Catelyn’s birthday party was the next day and he didn’t even have a gift for her. She had hinted that she wanted to try the chocolates at The Dragon’s Sweet Tooth, both her daughter’s place of employment and the property of the object of his affection. It gave him the perfect excuse to visit Dany.

The shop smelled overwhelmingly of mint when he walked in. He made his way up to the coffee counter where Sansa and Ana were standing. “What’s with the mint meltdown in here?” He asked his cousin.

She giggled. “Dany’s experimenting with mint truffles. She accidentally dumped a huge amount of peppermint extract into a mixer. We’ve been trying to air it out all day, but the scent is persistent. Even Olenna’s group thought it was too much.” Sansa nodded to the large table that was usually occupied by a gaggle of old women this time of day.

He turned back to the counter and paid Ana for his coffee while Sansa made up his order. “Is she around?” He asked Sansa. She nodded and just then a blur of silver and pastel purple came flying out of the kitchen.

“Is it any better? I opened up the back door!” Dany exclaimed at her employees. They both shook their heads and Dany looked sadder than he’d ever seen her. “A chocolate and coffee shop should smell rich and bitter, not like a damn spa!” She stopped ranting immediately when she noticed him and blushed a little when their eyes met. “Hi Jon.”

“Hey Dany.” He practically breathed. Sansa looked at him as if he was a lost puppy, and he felt like one. It had been far too long since he had seen her. “It could always be worse, you know. It could be pumpkin.” He chuckled at her screwed-up face. She had once confessed to him during an earlier visit that she hated the pumpkin smell that permeated her shop throughout the fall and early winter.

“It’s bad. I know it’s bad because Olenna left, and even Missy could only stick around for a few minutes.” Dany sounded close to tears and Jon looked at Sansa who just shrugged. The beautiful shop owner huffed and stomped her way back into the kitchen and out the back door.

Jon gestured with the cup in his hand toward her. “May I?” He asked the girls behind the counter. They both shrugged and waved him back.

He found Dany sitting against the wall on the ground of the alley behind her shop. He sighed and dropped down into a squat beside her, careful not to ruin his suit. He didn’t look at her, just stared everywhere else and started talking. “My mom died of cancer when I was fifteen. She passed away in July. I still can’t get out of bed on that day. I can make myself function most days except for that one day. I give that one to myself.”

She turned her head and looked up at him miserably. “How did you know?”

He shrugged. “There’s just a helplessness that comes with loss. On those days, everything seems to go wrong. And, I don’t know, I just saw a similar pain to mine in you.”

She nodded and then paused for a long moment. “It was my brother, Rhaegar. He was considerably older than me and my other brother and we idolized him. Everyone did. Our parents, the community I grew up in over in Essos. He was the golden boy of the Targaryen family. He got in a motorcycle accident and died three days later. He never woke up and we never really got to say goodbye to him, just to his body.” She took a deep breath and he looked at her finally. Tears swam in her eyes and trailed slowly down her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“My family kind of fell apart after that. Dad threw himself into work and mom just checked out. She’s still checked out. Viserys is off traveling somewhere, and I moved to Westeros just to get away. Missy came with me. She’s been my best friend as long as I can remember, and she packed up her life and came here with me.” She hiccupped lightly at that. “I’ll forever be in her debt for that. I would do anything for her. We offered Sansa to stay on even longer than we planned so she could have more time with the baby and I really don’t mind because she gave so much for me.”

The corners of Jon’s mouth turned up. “I’m sure she’d do anything for you too. You’re pretty irresistible, Dany Targaryen.”

She looked up at him for a long time, searching his eyes for something. “I like that you don’t ever call me Daenerys. I don’t like that version of me. I like that you only know Dany.”

Jon sighed. “I’d like to know Daenerys too.”

Dany smiled sadly up at him. “You’re very kind, Jon Snow. Thank you for coming to talk to me.”

“You’re welcome, but I will admit I had alternative motives.” He said, mischief in his voice.

“Oh?” Dany asked.

“I need chocolates for a special woman’s birthday, and I thought you could help.” Jon said with a smile.

He was surprised to see sadness creep into her gaze at his playful tone. “Of course.” She got up and dusted off the seat of her pants, walking back into the shop. He continued on into the store from the kitchen while she washed her hands at one of the large sinks. He met her face to face again at the candy counter. Her face was still flushed but she wasn’t any less beautiful than she normally was. In fact, the tears had made her purple eyes glow even more than usual.

She put on clear plastic gloves and set her hands on the counter. “Okay, what can I get for you?”

“Well, definitely a few of the Dracarys morsels.” He started. He then pointed out several others and she carefully packaged the two dozen candies in a dark red box with a black dragon printed on top.

“Do you need it gift wrapped?” She asked him.

He shrugged. “Sure, it is a birthday present.”

“Cheater!” Dany jumped nearly a mile in the air as Sansa shouted across the shop. She looked at Sansa panicked but Jon just smiled and shook his head. “You can’t get chocolates!” Sansa continued.

Dany visibly relaxed but was still tense as she packaged the chocolates, obviously not wanting to get involved. “It’s not cheating, and you better act surprised!” He told her back. She just smiled, shook her head, and winked at him.

Dany’s entire demeanor toward him had changed when she went to ring him up. He was desperately confused as he thought they’d had a breakthrough in the back alley. When the transaction was complete, and he reached for the chocolates he looked up at her and met her eyes. “Tomorrow will be better, Dany. It always is.”

“Thanks Jon.” Dany said with a small smile. She was back to being polite and slightly cold. He wanted to kick himself. What had he done wrong?

His family were quick to tell him when Catelyn opened her presents the next day. Sansa, who had not acted surprised in the least when Catelyn opened the chocolates, proceeded to spill the entire story to the family and immediately he was met with groans.

“Jon…” Arya hung her head, shaking it back and forth. Bran and Rickon just chuckled at him, and Podrick said something about him being an idiot.

“What?” He asked. “What am I missing?”

“Jon, dear, you spent nearly a half hour with her talking about deeply personal things and then told her you wanted her to pack up chocolates for a lady’s birthday present.” Catelyn said slowly.

Okay, that sounded really bad out loud. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Did you tell her you were buying them for your aunt/mother figure?” Arya asked. “Or just a woman?”

Jon frowned deeply as he thought back to the interaction. “Oh my gods. I told her I wanted her to pack up chocolates for me to give to another woman.” He groaned and his family chuckled around him. He was completely hopeless when it came to this woman. The only thing that could be done was to go see her and explain once and for all that he wanted her, no one else.

🍫❤️☕

Dany was utterly miserable. There was no other word for it as she pulled herself out of bed at 2:30 in the morning. She knew she was spiraling, but she couldn’t help it. Between Missy and Grey being busy with Kaela, her utterly embarrassing meltdown in front of the hottest man in the world, and the fact that she was completely in love with said unavailable man, she was ready to sink into her bed and pass the whole season away. What made matters even worse is that it was time to decorate for Valentine’s Day.

Normally, as a candy maker, Dany looked forward to the day with great anticipation. Sales were always through the roof and the days passed in a blur of red and pink. This year however, she was simply not in the mood to deal with it. Ana had given her a weird look when she’d asked her to decorate the shop yesterday. Dany never let anyone decorate the shop, but she just couldn’t bring herself to hang the hearts all over the cozy space. Walking into the shop during Valentine’s season was like stepping into a world of romance, and this year was no exception. She had to admit that Ana had done a great job and anyone walking in today would probably be deceived into thinking Dany was her normal cheerful self.

Despite feeling terrible, Dany had put on her typical bright colors and classy makeup. She started baking in the kitchen and smiled when she heard Sansa and Ana enter an hour later. Soft classical music filtered around the space as she plunged her hands into more bread dough. The rest of the baked goods were cooling and waiting for decoration, thanks to her large industrial ovens and she was setting her dough for tomorrow’s bread bakes. Everything that happened in Dany’s kitchen happened with exact timing. There was a clear schedule posted on the freezer door and on the ovens.

Sansa poked her head in with a smile and placed a cup of her favorite cinnamon latte on the kitchen counter before winking and returning to the shop. Dany couldn’t help but smile. Sansa had turned out to be a wonderful employee and a really great friend over these last few months. It was just too bad she was dating Dany’s perfect man. Around mid-morning she heard familiar voices in the shop and had to stop herself from running out to meet the men. Jon and Podrick came in around this time every workday for their morning break and coffee. She hadn’t seen Jon since the day she’d confessed everything about her sad family life and then he’d ordered a box of chocolates presumably for Sansa. She may or may not have been avoiding him.

“Are you going to come out and talk to me, or am I going to have to come back there again?” She blushed as she heard Jon’s voice call back to her.

Wiping her hands on her apron she reentered the shop and stopped dead. Standing at the coffee counter and smiling at her was Jon, but just beyond him was someone she didn’t think she’d ever see again. She felt the smile fall from her face. “Daario?” She called.

The tall, dark haired man turned at her call and shot her his wide smile. At one time, she found it charming, now it was just slimy. “Daenerys!” He exclaimed back.

She shot a quick look at Jon, who looked very confused and turned to her ex-boyfriend. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I had to see the place. You’ve really done it. I’m proud of you.” He stepped closer to the counter as he spoke, and she watched him wearily. “I’d like to talk.”

“Daario.” She deadpanned. They were drawing attention. Not only were Sansa, Ana, Podrick, and Jon looking at them curiously, but she could see Olenna eavesdropping as well. “Come into the kitchen.”

“Ooh.” He joked. “The kitchen, just like the good old days.”

Dany felt her cheeks set flame with implication. Sure, she and Daario had fooled around in kitchens before, but never at work and definitely not with customers around. “Now.”

They stepped into the kitchen and she took a deep breath to calm down. “Why are you here?” She asked in Valyrian, hoping no one in the shop was fluent enough to keep up with the conversation.

“Dany. I was in town and I just wanted to see if…” Daario trailed off and she watched him, when she didn’t prompt him, he continued anyway. “If you wanted to have a good time, you know for old times’ sake.”

“Do you honestly think I don’t know that you’re married?” Dany asked harshly. “You work for my father. I heard it from him repeatedly. He made sure to tell me what a good thing I gave up.”

“Look, Dany, I’m in town, she’s not here, I just thought…you know…” Daario trailed off again.

“That I was desperate enough to sleep with a married man?” Dany finished. He shrugged as if that should be obvious. “Get out of my shop Daario, and if you ever come here again, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

“Dany, come on…” Daario began.

“No.” Dany replied. “I have no obligation to you, this is my place of business you decided to come into with your ridiculous proposition, and I’m not letting you cause any more trouble than you are right now.”

A storm started brewing on Daario’s face and he took one step toward her and that’s when the door swung open. Standing there was an angry Jon. Podrick stood off to the side with a very guilty look on his face and she knew that at least one person in her shop spoke Valyrian. “She asked you to leave.” Jon said.

Daario looked between Jon and Dany a few times before shaking his head and turning on his heel to leave the building. Dany looked up at Jon. “Thank you.” She said softly. He nodded and stood with his head bowed slightly.

“Can I do anything else for you?” He asked, looking up and meeting her eyes. The chemistry once again sparkled between them and she felt an instant rush of guilt. Here she was telling off Daario for trying to cheat on his wife with her and she was standing here making eyes at her employee’s boyfriend.

“No. Thanks.” Dany said with an awkward smile. “I’m just going to get back to work.”

He nodded reluctantly and looked like he was about to say something but thought better of it before backing out of the kitchen back into the shop. She sighed in relief. Then she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. Maybe she could just hide in the kitchen until anyone who had seen Daario left? That’s what she would do, and she did.

After Daario’s unexpected visit, Dany’s mood got even worse. She practically dragged herself to work every morning, and barely dressed and did her makeup. Every day felt like a battle. Jon was more careful around her than ever and they hadn’t been alone since that day. The day before Valentine’s Day she’d finally had it with the world. She dragged herself out of bed yet again and made her way to work without a second thought, not even caring how she got there.

Sansa was the first one to see her that morning. “What the hell happened to you?” Sansa asked sharply when she arrived at 4 am. Dany couldn’t be bothered to do more than roll her eyes. “Seriously Dany, what is up? I’ve never ever seen you dressed in sweats, especially at work.”

Dany stared at the younger woman. Sansa was truly beautiful with long red hair that fell in sheets down her back and bright blue eyes. She was warm and kind and a perfect match for her perfect boyfriend. Tears sprung unexpectedly to her eyes. Frustration, guilt, and sadness warred in her. She was crazy about this girl’s man and she couldn’t shake it no matter what she did. “I’m sorry.” She breathed at Sansa.

“For what?” The barista returned. “Honey, I don’t know what’s going on with you. Jon hinted that the other day was a really bad day for personal reasons, but I feel like there’s something more going on.”

Dany sucked in her breath and to her horror her whole body was wracked with sudden sobs. “I’m so sorry.” She breathed out. “I just can’t stop crying. I just feel awful. No matter what I do, I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”

“Dany.” Sansa looked confused as to what to say. “I can’t imagine anything you’ve done that I would consider wrong. You’re one of the most selfless people I’ve met. You care so much about Missy and her family, and the shop. You make us all feel like a family here, and I know this job was supposed to be temporary, but I’ll stay as long as you want me to, I love it here. I adore you. So many people do. You’re so bright and cheerful, you bring sunshine everywhere you go. Jon says you always smell of cocoa and he’s right, you do.”

That only made Dany cry harder. Sansa was being so nice and so was Jon, but her heart leapt at the compliment, hoping it meant more. She felt miserable for feeling this way. She couldn’t even look Sansa in the eye anymore. Her fantasies of Jon had grown out of control and it was infinitely worse after the talk they’d had out the back door. She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself.

“Here, why don’t we call in for help today.” Dany started to protest Sansa’s suggestion, but she kept talking. “You can stay and finish the prep, but by seven everything should be running smoothly and there will be enough product to last through the morning. Greg will be here by then and he can restock the baked goods, but we have enough chocolates to last. At seven, you’re leaving. Go home, take a bath, relax, drink a whole bottle of wine and come back tomorrow. Okay?”

Dany nodded her head softly. She knew she was in no state to see customers today, but it still hurt to admit defeat. Sansa was still watching her cautiously. “Okay, I’ll get prep done and then I’ll go home.” Before she could protest, Sansa pulled Dany into a tight hug. “Everything will be alright. I know it will.” Dany gave in and collapsed against the taller woman. It was impossible not to like Sansa, even when she was insanely jealous of her.

The next few hours drug as Dany sequestered herself in the kitchen. At half past seven, Greg walked in. He was her longest running employee, her and Missy’s first hire. He was a terrific baker and a wonderful friend. Greg smiled as he walked in, but upon seeing her, his face turned to concern. “Dany, what the hell are you wearing?” Dany struggled not to laugh. She had track pants on with an oversized t-shirt and her hair was in a messy bun. Anyone might think she had just rolled out of bed and come to work, and they’d be right. She shot him a dark look and he immediately backed off.

Straightening her back, Dany put on her boss face. “I need you to take over the baking for the rest of the day.” He nodded at her as he washed his hands in the sink. “The chocolates should be stocked enough, but if we run out, then we run out. Don’t try and make any. I remember the fiasco that was my kitchen after your last attempt.”

He chuckled at that. “Is there anything special I can do for you?” He asked her kindly.

“Just help the girls make the day as smooth as possible.” She said defeatedly.

“Where are you going?” Greg asked.

“Home. Apparently to drown my sorrows in a bottle of wine and a bath.” Dany rolled her eyes.

“Well, make sure you give yourself a little relief while you’re at it. You’re all bottled up, girl.” Greg pointed his finger and made a circle encompassing her from head to toe.

Dany chose to ignore the comment and instead replied, “don’t burn down my shop, Greg.”

He saluted her with his usual attitude and turned to start on the next round of croissants for the day. She looked around briefly, and considered checking in with Sansa, but she didn’t want to be seen in the shop. She did have some self-respect left. She sent her a text instead and escaped out the back door.

Dany swung by her local market and grabbed her favorite wine, a frozen pizza, and a pint of ice cream. The meal of lonely girls everywhere, she thought cynically. She made it back to her apartment before nine and ran herself a bath. While she waited for it to fill, she stood in front of her bathroom mirror and let her hair down to be brushed. When she was much younger Missy loved to braid it in all sorts of combinations, running her hands through the silver strands. She studied herself in the mirror. Her eyes seemed a duller purple than normal, her hair was limp, and she was pale. She hadn’t slept well in what felt like weeks.

Dany thought back to her feelings of jealousy when Sansa hugged her. She wasn’t vain, but Dany knew she was an attractive woman. There was really no reason to be jealous of Sansa who seemed to have totally opposite features as her. She was tiny, where Sansa was tall. Her face round, where the redhead was all sharp angles. Objectively, Dany knew they were both beautiful women in their own right, but one of them had Jon and the other just pined for him.

As she stepped into the bath, she rolled her eyes at herself. She’d never gotten this hung up over a man before. Dany could acknowledge that it wasn’t just Jon. This was always a hard time of the year and with all the changes in her relationship with Missy, her main lifeline, things were bound to feel different. It wasn’t just Jon, but he was the focal point for her misery.

Dany soaked in the hot, bubbly water for nearly an hour when she heard a knock on the door. She leaned her head back on the lip of the tub and refused to budge. It was okay, because a few seconds later she heard a key turn in the lock and Missy called for her through the apartment. “Dany? I know you’re here. I stalked you on Find My Friends since you left the shop this morning.”

She looked down and made sure all her parts were covered before she called back. “I’m in the bath, Missy.”

Missandei came walking through the doorway a few seconds later. “Hey girlie.” She said, smiling softly at her.

The smile was the last straw for Dany and she completely lost it. Tears streamed down her face and sobs wracked her body. Missy dropped her coat and purse and came forward to kneel next to the tub. She put her arms around Dany and hugged her tight from the side while Dany continued to cry hysterically. Missy just held her for a really long time. Finally, once the sobs had subsided into hiccups, she pushed Dany back and faced her, holding her shoulders. “Stand up, wash your hair and rinse your body and then come to the living room.” Dany started to protest, but Missy interrupted her. “Don’t argue with me. You know it’s useless.”

Dany did as her best friend asked and dressed in comfy sweats found herself cuddled in the large armchair in her living room. Missy came up behind her and handed her a cup of tea. Once she was settled, Dany felt Missy’s hands moving in her hair. For a long time, there was only silence as Missy braided different chunks of Dany’s hair. It was one of Missy’s gifts, to make people feel loved, and she knew exactly how to do that for her best friend. “Dany, we need to talk about why I found you sobbing in the bathtub.” Missy finally said.

“To be fair, I wasn’t sobbing until you were here.” Dany looked up at Missy who just shook her head with a soft smile on her face. Dany sighed. “I think it’s a combination of things. You’re gone…” Dany started, and quickly added, “…but I don’t blame you for any of this.”

“I know you don’t.” Missy said. “You’re just as excited about Kaela as we are. I know you’re happy for me and happy to give me the time off. It’s just different. I’ve missed our time together too.”

Dany nodded her agreement. “Then there was Rhaegar’s anniversary, and Daario’s visit they were both really stressful.”

“But that’s not the root of all this Dany.” Missy said.

Dany took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “I’m lonely. I’ve been lonely for a while, but it’s become worse since…” Dany trailed off, not wanting to admit it.

“Since you met Jon.” Dany shivered under Missy’s accusation.

“I can’t shake him, Miss.” Dany said tearfully. “I’ve really tried, but I’m crazy about him. And I know he belongs to Sansa, which just makes everything so stressful. I constantly feel like we’re doing something wrong and I feel so guilty. It’s so strange because I hardly know him, but we just connected. You know?”

Dany heard Missy sigh behind her. “Has he given you reason to think he returns your feelings?”

“That’s the weird thing.” Dany began, admitting out loud for the first time that things might be inappropriate between herself and Jon. “We have these moments, looks, conversations, and mannerisms that make me think we’re on the same page, but then something happens to interrupt us. Do you remember that I told you he stopped by before you went into labor and was going to ask me something?” Missy nodded in return. “I could have sworn he was going to ask me out, it definitely felt like that, but Sansa was home sick. Why wouldn’t he have been with her? Isn’t that bizarre?”

“Is it possible that you misread it?” Missy asked. “That they’re not dating?”

“I think I’d know if the guy I’m crazy about was actually single.” Dany said righteously.

Missy frowned. “Okay, but everything just seems a little bit strange to me, like we’re missing a piece of the puzzle.”

“I don’t know.” Dany answered with frustration. “I’m just exhausted by it all, and I’m alone, and tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day.” Her voice raised with every word until she was nearly wailing at the end.

Missy tied off the last of the braids and came to sit in front of Dany. “Okay. This is what we’re going to do. You get to wallow here today, but then tomorrow you’re going to get your ass up and go to work. And you’re going to let me set you up on a date for tomorrow night.”

“Missy.” Dany answered shaking her head miserably.

“I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ve never steered you wrong so you’re just going to have to trust me.” Missy said forcefully. Dany nodded reluctantly. “Now, do you still have that black dress?” Dany nodded again. “And the red lingerie?”

“Missy!” Dany exclaimed.

“Girl, you know that we wear lingerie for ourselves just as much as we wear it for men. It will give you confidence.” Missy said. Dany sighed and acquiesced to her best friend.

🍫❤️☕

Missandei marched determinedly into The Dragon’s Sweet Tooth. It was bizarre to her that she spent nearly every day for two years in the shop, but over the last few months had spent no time here. She was very grateful that Dany was her partner in this business. Her maternity leave would have been much more stressful if she wasn’t confident in who she’d left in charge. It was the day before Valentine’s and the line at the candy counter was wrapped around most of the store. There were three employees helping to box the sweets while Sansa single handedly held down the coffee counter. The redhead looked up and smiled when she saw her. “Hey Missy…” She began, but quickly trailed off when she saw Missy’s facial expression.

Missy wanted to take the redhead aside the moment she entered the store, but with the number of customers it was impossible. She stepped behind the counter, donned an apron, and washed her hands. For the next half hour, the two women worked in tandem to get the crowd under control. Once the shop was clear of the rush and just the regulars remained, Missy called Ana over to the coffee counter. “Take over for a few minutes please.” She asked the barista. Ana obediently nodded her head and got to work.

Missy turned to Sansa and nodded her head toward the kitchen. They ducked inside to find Greg mixing the next batch cupcake batter. He turned and his face lit up when he saw her. “Miss!” Greg said with a huge smile. Missy returned it. She loved Greg, he was so fun and full of life. “Hey Greg.”

“Did you bring the little one?” Greg asked.

She shook her head. “Not today. Can you go and help at the candy counter? We all have to help to cover for Dany today.” She smiled softly. Greg looked between Missy and Sansa with concern. “Yeah, sure.” He rinsed his hands and moved out the kitchen door, but not before making a face at Sansa.

The door swung closed behind him and Missy turned to Sansa, who just looked really confused. “What’s going on Missy? Is Dany okay?”

Missy sighed. “I haven’t seen her like this ever. I feel really guilty because I know I added to a lot of her stress.”

Sansa shook her head after that statement. “She’s so excited for you, Missy. I honestly don’t think you need to feel guilty.”

“Sansa.” Missy interrupted. “What the hell is going on with your boyfriend?”

“My boyfriend?” Sansa asked. “Podrick?”

“Who’s Podrick?” Missy asked back, she could feel her forehead wrinkling in confusion.

“My boyfriend.” Sansa responded with a nod of her head.

“Then who’s Jon?” Missy asked.

“Jon’s my cousin.” Sansa said. Missy watched as Sansa’s eyes moved rapidly as if she was doing calculations in her head. Her face was comical as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Oh, this makes so much sense. Oh, my goodness. I feel so bad. She must be so confused.”

“So, I’m going to guess that there was some sort of misunderstanding and you’re not dating your cousin.” Missy said with her arms crossed over her chest. “Is he actually interested in her, or he just being nice?”

“He’s totally interested.” Sansa quickly said. “He’s been crazy about her since they met, but none of us could figure out why she kept backing off.” Sansa dropped her face into her hands and shook her head. “I feel so stupid. Wait!” She sprung back up and her eyes became calculated as she looked at Missy. “She’s into him, right?”

Missy nodded. “Totally hung up on him.”

Sansa put her hands on her hips and nodded with a determined look on her face. “Okay, so what do we do?”

“I had a sneaking suspicion that this might have all been one big misunderstanding, so I told Dany she needed to come into work tomorrow, but that I was going to set her up on a date tomorrow night.” Missy said.

“Did you tell her what,w you suspected with Jon?” Sansa asked.

Missy shook her head. “I didn’t want to get her hopes up. She seemed determined. I would be too if I’d convinced myself of a truth over the course of nearly three months.” Missy rolled her eyes. “And he needs to be the one to tell her. They need to communicate if anything is ever going to work between them.”

“Okay. So where are we going to get a reservation for Valentine’s Day, which is tomorrow?” Sansa asked.

Both women stood in front of each other, silent for a long moment. Missy heard a loud laugh echo through the shop and into the kitchen. She looked at Sansa and they shared a look of understanding. “Olenna!” They both gasped at each other. They raced out of the kitchen and made their way to the large table in front of the window where the older ladies were packing up to leave. “Olenna!” Missy greeted.

“Missandei.” The older woman said coolly. Missy tried not to wince. Ever since she had gotten an order wrong, Olenna Tyrell had been standoffish with her. She made it very clear that Dany was her favorite. “We have a favor to ask.” The woman’s face froze in a menacing position. “For Dany.” Sansa quickly added. That thawed out the Queen of Thorns quickly.

“Is she alright? I can’t remember her ever taking off a day.” Olenna said.

“There are some…personal issues going on.” Sansa said cautiously.

“Does this have anything to do with that gorgeous cousin of yours that moons over her?” Olenna asked. “Because I’ve been watching the two of them circle around each other for the last few months and the tension is getting to be too much.”

Sansa chuckled lightly and then quickly explained the situation, ending with their request for a romantic reservation for tomorrow night. Olenna was quiet for a long moment after their story and narrowed her eyes at both of them. “You, young lady…” She said, pointing at Sansa. “…have made quite a mess here.” Sansa opened her mouth to protest, but Missy elbowed her in the side. “I will do it on one condition.” Both of them nodded their heads eagerly. She turned to look at Sansa. “I want you to talk to your mother about Robb and Margaery. I would also prefer if they married, but we can’t let her temper tantrum ruin their standing in society. He is the President and CEO of a major company and she is quite possibly one of the most well-known women in all of Westeros.”

Sansa’s eyes widened. “I can’t promise anything, but I will try my hardest. My mother can be, difficult, especially since we lost our father.”

“Don’t play the sympathy card with me, girl.” Olenna responded. “I expect that you’ll give it your full attention.” Sansa nodded reluctantly.

Missy and Sansa both breathed a sigh of relief as Olenna left, with a reservation set for Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen at the Red Keep the next evening. They looked at each other with a look of exasperation. “Okay. Dany will be here in the morning and then she’ll be meeting her ‘blind date’ at the Red Keep tomorrow night.” Missy said with purpose. “Your job is to get Jon sorted out.” She said to Sansa. The redhead nodded in return. “Okay, now that my work is done, I’m going home to my husband and baby where I’m going to find a way to laugh about all of this.”

Sansa breathed out a sigh of relief when the day was over. She never realized just how much work Dany put in every day. It was exhausting. She felt another sting of guilt when she thought about the added pressure her presence must have caused when Dany was feeling an attraction to her supposed ‘boyfriend’. She was sure she’d laugh about it in the future, but not until Jon and Dany were settled and happy. Sansa had been thrilled the first time Jon walked into the shop because she was sure that they would be perfect for each other. The mutual attraction had been obvious, but it was also clear that Dany was holding back. Sansa felt sick to her stomach when she thought about how Dany must have felt. She had had crushes on taken men before and it was never easy, but to see that man every day and with the person he was supposedly dating? No wonder Dany was stressed.

She stopped in her apartment to drop off her stuff and greet Podrick, but quickly told him she needed to go see Jon. He nodded and continued to make their dinner. She stepped into the elevator and entered Jon’s private code. As she rode up to the penthouse in the elevator, Sansa quickly tried to arrange her thoughts. The elevator doors opened, and a giant white blur leapt at her. She laughed and caught Ghost around the neck, shoving her face into his soft fur. She took a deep breath for courage.

“Hey Sans.” Jon shouted from the kitchen. “You hungry?”

“Yes, but I don’t need you to make me anything.” She replied, entering the room. “Podrick’s making our dinner, but I needed to talk to you first.”

He looked up at her. Jon was wearing sweats and had his hair pulled back as he worked at the stove. “What’s up?” He asked.

“I need to tell you something, but I don’t want you to get mad.” He looked at her in confusion.

“Okay…” He started.

“So…um…” Sansa started.

“Just spit it out, Sansa.” Jon said with a laugh.

“Dany thinks that we’re dating.” Sansa said quickly in one breath.

“I’m sorry.” Jon said. “Can you repeat that?”

“There was a mix up when you met Dany and somehow, she came to the conclusion that we were dating.” Sansa said cautiously. “So, for the last three months, she’s thought that we were together.”

“She thinks I’m dating my cousin?” Jon asked incredulously.

“No!” Sansa exclaimed. “She doesn’t know that we’re cousins.”

Jon placed both of his hands on the counter in front of him and bowed his head. “Just to be clear, she’s thought this from pretty much the day that we met?”

Sansa nodded and bit her lip. “I’m really sorry Jon. I honestly don’t know how all of this got so mixed up. The only thing I can think is that she knew my boyfriend worked for Stark and that he was an executive. I think she was in the kitchen when Pod showed up that day and so when you both left together and she mentioned my boyfriend, I thought she was referring to him.”

Jon thought back to that very first day. She had been standing close to the tables, coffeepot in hand and his heart had immediately been stolen by the beautiful chocolatier. The last few months of frustration, both romantic and sexual had stemmed from their inability to communicate with one another. “This isn’t all your fault.” He capitulated. “I should have been more open and honest with her. I just could never seem to get anything out before she was running away again.”

“Probably because she was having a hard time being attracted to what she thought was a friend’s boyfriend.” Sansa said with a wince. “She’s one of the good ones Jon. She never would have made a move as long as she thought we were together.” Sansa tilted her head to the side as she continued. “Now, if it was Ana, that girl has no qualms at all.”

“Okay!” Jon exclaimed and clapped his hands together. “Overall, this is not terrible. It’s a relatively easy fix, right?” He looked at Sansa. “I mean she does like me, right? I wasn’t making that up?”

“She likes you, Jon.” Sansa said with a smile. “A lot. I’m pretty sure it was love at first sight.”

“For both of us.” Jon answered softly. He was struck with a familiar scene from his dreams of the two of them curled up together with chocolate and coffee, happily snuggled in his bed. He quickly directed his thoughts away from the more X-rated version of the dream and looked back up at his cousin. “What do I do? Do I go and see her at work tomorrow?”

“That’s the best part!” Sansa said excitedly. “Missy and I arranged for a date tomorrow night! It’s at the Red Keep at 7. You’ll know she’ll be there, but she thinks it’s a blind date. I mean, I guess there’s a lot of romantic pressure if you’re having your first date on Valentine’s Day, but we really didn’t want you guys to wait any longer, and Dany was kinda spiraling the last few days, so…” Sansa continued to ramble as Jon’s thoughts turned to planning for tomorrow’s date.

“Thank you, Sansa.” Jon said abruptly. “Thanks for everything, but I’m going to start getting ready now.”

Sansa looked confused. “Your date’s not until tomorrow.”

“Yes, but I want to clean up the apartment.” Jon’s eyes widened at her and he could see her face dawn with understanding.

“Ohhh, okay.” Sansa suddenly looked very uncomfortable. “Well, I’ll leave you to it then. Good luck tomorrow!”

Sansa left quickly and Jon looked around the space. If everything went well at dinner the next night, he hoped they’d end up back here where he could hopefully convince her that she never had to leave. He caught himself at the thought. He was so far gone on this girl that he was already planning their future life. He rolled his eyes at himself and turned to finish dinner.

🍫❤️☕

Dany kept herself as busy as possible in the kitchen on Valentine’s Day. Sansa had somehow found out about the blind date that Missy had set up and insisted that she leave early to get ready, so she was in her last batch of chocolates in the early afternoon. The shop was still extraordinarily busy, people rushing in for sweets to give their sweethearts when Sansa stuck her head into the kitchen and told her to go home. Greg smiled at her from his place at the mixer. “Yes, get going.” He said. “And make sure you have fun tonight. You know he doesn’t have to be the love of your life to help you relax and have fun.” He gave her a devious smile and a raise of the eyebrows. “I have some tips if you need them.” Dany resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Greg and his wife had a very healthy sex life from what she’d heard from Missy, but he obviously had different tastes in the bedroom than she did.

She reluctantly left work and went home to start getting ready. Daario had been Dany’s last long-term boyfriend, but she often went out and had fun with men she met at clubs and bars. Due to Missy’s pregnancy though, Dany hadn’t been out in a while and at this point her dry spell was hitting six months. She blew out her breath as she studied the clothes laid out on her bed. The classic little black dress had been in her closet so long it literally needed to be dusted off, and the matching red set of lingerie still had tags. Before she could chicken out the blind date, Dany hopped in the shower and started the hours long process of making herself date worthy. She was happily surprised to see that both the undergarments and dress fit perfectly and grabbed spiky black heels to finish off the look. After applying her dark red lip color and fluffing her curls one more time, she packed the necessities in her clutch and went outside to catch her Uber.

The Red Keep was one of the fanciest restaurants in King’s Landing and was situated at the top of Aegon’s hill with spectacular views of both the harbor and the city. It cost a fortune and Dany couldn’t help but wonder who her date was and how they got the last-minute reservation. She gave her name to the hostess and was led to a table in the courtyard which was covered at this time of the year with a glass ceiling. She tried to look around the woman leading her to the table so she could see her date before they got there, but the tables were too tightly packed for her to get a good look. As her hostess slowed and came to a table, the man waiting rose to greet her. He was dressed in a gorgeous black suit that seemed to be cut just for his body, wrapped closely around his delectable muscles and his dark red tie made her think of the layer under her black dress. They were perfectly matched. Her breath froze in her lungs as her gaze rose and her eyes met Jon’s.

Jon was speechless as he looked at Dany. Her gorgeous silver curls were down for the first time that he’d seen, and her slim figure was encased in a tight black dress that hugged her in all the right places. The soft lights in the restaurant made her skin and eyes glow. Out of the corner of his eye he saw several envious looks shot his way. She stood shell shocked, looking at him and he smiled reassuringly, remembering that she still thought he was dating Sansa. “Hi Dany.” He said softly with a smile. She returned it nervously as he pulled out her chair for her and helped her to be seated at the table. “I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered wine for us. You like red right?”

She nodded at him helplessly. Neither one of them got to say another word before the waiter showed up at the table. “Good evening. Welcome to the Red Keep. Tonight, we do have a special menu for Valentine’s Day. The meal does consist of three courses and dessert.” Jon almost tuned the waiter out as he went on with the options, continuing to stare across the table at Dany. She was also having trouble paying attention, glancing at him every few minutes. Her cheeks were saturated with deep blush that complemented her dark red lips.

“So, what can I get you?” The waiter’s voice cut back into his conscious. At that moment another man brought their wine to the table. Jon looked to Dany who ordered three courses easily. The waiter then turned to Jon. “Sir?” He asked. Jon met Dany’s eyes which were sparkling at him in amusement. He hadn’t paid any attention to the waiter, nor had he read the menu. “I’ll have the steak, medium.” He said and handed the menu over. “And for your first two courses, sir?” The waiter continued impatiently. Jon looked up at the man and smiled tightly. “Surprise me. Your choice.” The waiter graciously nodded his head. “Very well sir.”

The man walked off, writing on his tablet and Jon found himself finally alone with Dany. “I think I owe you an explanation.” He began.

Dany took a sip of her wine and had to suppress a groan of appreciation. “I’d certainly say so.”

He dived right in, determined to explain everything as quickly as possible so they could move forward. “Sansa is not my girlfriend.” Dany’s eyebrows rose. “I’d hope not, seeing as you’re on a date with me for Valentine’s Day.”

Jon grinned sheepishly and took a healthy swig of the expensive wine. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook easily, which of course, only made her more attractive. “Sansa is my cousin. Well, we were raised closer to brother and sister to be honest. The day that we met, her boyfriend came in after I had already been there, and you were in the kitchen.”

“Who’s her boyfriend?” She asked him curiously.

“Podrick.” Jon answered simply.

“Podrick.” Dany deadpanned. “Podrick, the tall, lanky, really goofy guy that comes in with you every day?”

“Yes.” Jon chuckled. “Trust me, no one was more shocked than me when they hit it off, but they’ve been together for several years and he’s mellowed her out a lot. She used to be much more difficult, but now she’s just a big softie.” As he finished his explanation, the waiter returned with bread for the table. Jon paused and thanked the waiter briefly. “Dany…” he reached out to take her hand and she graciously placed hers in his. “I don’t want there to be any more mixed signals here. I’m crazy about you. I have been since the moment I met you, and there’s no one else I want to be with. I know this whole situation has been nuts, but I just want a chance with you.”

Dany couldn’t breathe as she looked into his earnest dark eyes. She almost felt like she needed to pinch herself. Obviously, Missandei had been right and there had been a huge misunderstanding. She felt all of the tension leave her body as she felt his thumb moving gently over the back of her hand. He wasn’t taken, and he was interested in her, only her. She took a deep breath for courage and smiled at him. “Jon, I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you.”

“Oh, thank the gods. I’m glad I’m not the only one.” Jon said with a chuckle. “I was starting to think I had imagined the feelings that happened every time we were together.”

“No.” Dany said quickly. “I just couldn’t say anything because I thought you were with Sansa. It broke my heart to try and stay away from you. It was just so hard to be around you when I thought you were with someone else.”

They just sat in silence for a long moment looking at each other, both free of any burdens of misunderstanding. Dany was relieved to feel the tension of the last few weeks leave her body. Jon smiled brightly at her and she returned it with a giggle. “We really made a mess of all this, didn’t we?” Jon said. She nodded back at him. “I guess that’s something to start working on in our relationship, our communication.” Her breath froze as she rolled his words over in her head, but before she could respond the waiter returned with their first course.

After the first few heavenly bites, Dany finally asked him, “…relationship?”

He looked up from his plate and smiled at her. “If you think I’m letting you get away after all of this, you are greatly mistaken Daenerys Targaryen.” She blushed at his tone and the use of her full name.

The conversation flowed easily between them as they continued throughout the meal. Jon noticed how relaxed Dany had become and it was a nice change from the nervousness she’d always shown around him. He talked to her about growing up in Winterfell, his relationship with his family members, and Ghost. Dany gushed about Kaela and explained why she and Missy were so close. It turned out that Jon had actually met Grey several times at Tormund’s gym, and they were even listed on the same team for an upcoming cross fit competition. He was truly amazed by how much their lives seemed to be leading them to one another.

“So how did you get this reservation?” Dany asked curiously. “This is one of the most exclusive restaurants in King’s Landing.”

“I don’t know how they did it.” Jon answered.

“They?” Dany asked.

“Missy and Sansa. They’re the ones that put this date together.” Jon explained. “I think Sansa in particular felt guilty about everything that happened.”

Dany waved her hand at that. “It wasn’t her fault any more than it was either of ours. It was just a random series of really awful coincidences. But how did Missy and Sansa get a table here?” She questioned.

They looked at each other for a long while, trying to figure out the pieces when Jon saw her eyes bulge out of her head at someone over his shoulder. He turned to look and saw Olenna Tyrell sitting at a table with none other than Tywin Lannister. When she noticed their attention, she gave them a nod and a wink. Dany burst out laughing. Heads turned toward their table, but he wasn’t embarrassed. In fact, he started laughing with her.

“Dany.” Jon said when they sobered up from the laughter. She still was smiling brightly at him across the table. “Will you come home with me tonight?” Her face turned very serious. “I know this is the first date, and I won’t be offended if you say no, but I feel like I’ve had three months of foreplay and I’m going to explode.” He watched as her eyes turned two shades darker and her pupils expanded.

“I’d love to.” She responded. He looked up, searching for their waiter but she reached out and grabbed his arm before he could raise it. “We still have dessert to eat.”

He turned and looked at her with a burning gaze and Dany’s panties melted on the spot. “You are dessert.” He said in a low gravelly voice.

“But they have tiramisu.” She whined gently, pushing her bottom lip out.

He chuckled at her. “You and your cocoa. Fine. Tiramisu and then we’re going back to my place.” She nodded at him.

Getting through dessert turned out to be a miracle for Jon. The way this woman enjoyed her coffee and chocolate could be considered sinful. His pants tightened yet again as he watched her lick the last of the cream off of her spoon. Jon called for the check immediately afterward and took out his phone to order an Uber. Dany chuckled at his urgency. “It’s been three months, Dany. Three months of wanting you. You’re lucky we even made it through dessert.”

Once the check was returned and Jon tipped a healthy amount, he reached for her hand and practically dragged her through the restaurant. Dany smiled as she caught Olenna’s eye. The older woman was wagging her eyebrows suggestively and Dany instinctively knew she’d be caught at the table with her coffee group come Monday. She tried to ignore how perfectly their hands fit together and how in sync they maneuvered through the tables, but Dany couldn’t help but feel like this man was made to be hers.

When they exited the restaurant, they found themselves standing at the Uber pick up spot with their driver still showing ten minutes away. Jon turned toward her, and her breath caught at the hungry look in his eye. “You look gorgeous tonight.” He said, leaning toward her.

“So do you.” She responded quickly. “I love that you wear suits. You were made to wear them.” She ran her free hand down the lapel of his jacket and shivered at the muscle she could feel under the layers. “Jon…” she started. “Yes?” he answered. “Kiss me please.” She said softly, looking up into his eyes.

Jon didn’t need to be told twice. He wrapped his free hand around her waist and kept possession of her hand with the other. She was so tiny. He looked down into her glowing violet eyes and she smiled gently up at him. He leaned forward and gently brushed her lips with his. They stood there gently kissing for a moment before she nipped his bottom lip in impatience. He laughed and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck so he could angle her face upward. He took a moment to just look into her eyes as they stood close together, he leaned in and brushed his nose against hers before settling his mouth fully over hers.

Fire quickly spread through Dany’s veins. Jon took command of the kiss almost immediately as his tongue slipped into her mouth and started to caress hers. She could still taste the coffee from their tiramisu, and it was the perfect accent to such a delicious moment. Her tongue wrapped with his and they lost themselves on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant. His hands were firm as he held her, and her free hand moved up into his hair to hold him closer. She was conscious that she was probably covering him with red lipstick but that was her last coherent thought as she gave herself up to his warm mouth.

She didn’t know how long they stood there losing themselves in each other, but all of the sudden she felt a vibration against her hip. Jon groaned as he pulled back and took out his phone. “The Uber is almost here.” He said breathlessly. Dany hid her disappointment. “How long will it take us to get to your place?” She asked. He shrugged. “Fifteen minutes maybe.”

“Good.” She answered. Dany wasn’t one to make out in the back of a driver’s car, but if anyone could tempt her into it, it was this man with his direct stare and sinful kisses.

The Uber driver pulled up and looked at them wearily. No doubt they looked a little disheveled from their impromptu make out session. She wanted to reassure the man that they wouldn’t go at it in the back seat, but honestly, she couldn’t promise that. They sat next to each other in the back seat, each sitting properly, but Jon’s hand rested on her exposed thigh. She leaned her head back against the seat and turned to look at him. They spent the ride like that, his hand on her leg, her hand on top of his, and they just stared at each other. The tension built between them until it was almost unbearable. The driver didn’t try and talk to them and they didn’t acknowledge him. The city lights flashed around them as they continued to speak to each other without words.

When they arrived at Jon’s building, he practically tossed her out of the car in his haste. He quickly thanked the driver and made sure to tip on the app before turning back to her. They moved passed the reception desk still holding hands. Jon pressed the button for the elevator and the moment after she was back in his arms. She hadn’t made out with anyone like this in years. Their hands flew everywhere, trying to touch as much as they could while their lips remained locked together. In their enthusiasm their teeth clanged together, and their tongues dueled for supremacy. Dany heard a ding behind them and felt the doors to the elevator open. She was about to step back into it when Jon broke away abruptly.

Daenerys turned to see what he was staring at only to see Sansa and Podrick standing in the elevator. She gasped quickly as she realized what a sight they must be. “About damn time.” Podrick muttered as he pulled Sansa from the elevator. As the redhead moved by them, she caught Dany’s eye and gave her a wink. Dany smiled and laughed. Dragging Jon into the elevator by his lapels, she asked him, “will we ever not make a fool of ourselves in front of all of our acquaintances?”

Jon turned away to type a code into the panel of the elevator before he turned back to her. “At this moment, I really don’t give a fuck if we do.” She grinned at him and pulled him back to her. Wrapping her arms around his neck she moaned into his mouth as his hands moved lower on her body. The elevator came to stop after a few minutes and doors opened up to the foyer of an apartment. She realized that Jon occupied the penthouse of the building. He pulled her out of the elevator and back into his arms. “I’m so happy you’re here.” He said softly. She smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair. Just as she was about to go in for another kiss, she heard the distinct clacking of nails on the floor. Dany turned to see the giant white dog coming at the new human. She laughed and knelt down to meet him. “Hi Ghost!”

Jon’s heart melted as he watched Dany fully embrace his large white furball. She didn’t care that his hair was getting all over her dress or that he was frantically trying to lick her face, but Jon did. “Enough, Ghost.” He commanded and the dog took off toward his bed. Jon looked down at her and rolled his eyes. “You’re irresistible to everyone, Dany.” She smiled up at him. “He’s so fluffy! I bet he’s the best cuddler.” She said looking at Ghost instead of him.

“The only one you’ll be cuddling with tonight is me.” He said, grabbing her again around the waist to pull her in for another kiss. She laughed into it and they spent a few minutes kissing softly before the tension from the car ride built back up. Jon reached down and grabbed the back of her thighs, pulling her up to wrap her legs around his waist. He heard two clacks as her heels fell to the floor. Jon carried her toward the bedroom, not wanting to waste any more time. He set her down on her feet when they reached the side of the bed. Jon pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear as they stood staring at one another. “There’s no pressure here, Dany. We don’t have to do anything more than cuddle if you don’t want to.”

Dany smiled at him and placed a hand on the side of his face. “Jon, you’re such a kind and generous man. Thank you for saying that, but I’ve been waiting to get you out of a suit for three months and I’m really ready to do that now.” Jon nodded at her, struck dumb by her bright purple eyes and beautiful smile.

Dany reached for his suit jacket and he obliged her by taking it off and tossing in the corner. It was as if a dam broke and all of the sudden, they were racing to take off his clothes as fast as possible. She pulled at his tie as he unbuttoned the cuffs at his wrists and then she started popping open buttons over his chest, kissing the skin as it became exposed. He finally pulled the garment from where it was tucked into his pants and tossed it away from them. Dany stopped for a quick moment and just stared at him. Jon knew he was fit. He worked hard to stay that way and it paid off by the look on her face. He leaned down to kiss her out of her stupor, and she responded by tearing at his belt. They got his pants halfway down when he realized he still had his shoes on. He abruptly sat down on the bed and started to untie them when she stepped back, pulled her dress off, and his head exploded.

Jon had a new favorite color, and it was red. Dany looked incredible in the lingerie set in front of him. Red lace cupped her perfect breasts and a red lace thong wrapped around her hips. He was pretty sure there was drool coming out of his mouth. She smiled and chuckled lightly. Moving forward Dany cupped his face and kissed him gently. “Jon, finish getting undressed please.” Her eyes danced with happiness as she backed away from him. He frantically tore at the laces of his shoes and pulled them and his socks off. Then he stood and let his suit pants fall to the floor. He stood in front of her now in only his boxer briefs.

It was Dany’s turn to drool as she scanned him from head to toe. Jon Snow was a beautiful man. She shivered as she saw the outline of his large cock through his underwear. His eyes were dark, pupils blown wide as he reached for her. She expected another kiss, but instead he bent her backward forcing her breasts to push up toward his mouth. Jon took advantage of the position and settled his mouth over her nipple through the red lace.

She gasped as he used his teeth to tease the tip into a bud with soothing with his tongue. While he worked one breast, he massaged the other with his free hand. Dany could barely breathe through the pleasure. It had been so long since she had been touched and Jon obviously knew what he was doing. While he continued to lavish attention on her breasts, he reached down to rub and against her core through the lace there.

“Already so wet for me, Dany?” He asked darkly. She grew even hotter at his tone of voice. Jon’s playful side was coming out.

“I’m always wet for you, Jon. Even when I try not to be.” Dany confessed in a smooth, seductive voice. Jon gulped at the hungry look in her eyes. He reached behind her to open her bra and she moved her arms so the garment could fall to the floor. “I like red.” Jon said, smirking at her before he kissed her again.

Their tongues tangled and dueled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, smashing her breasts against his hard chest. His free hand was still rubbing her through the lace and the stimulation was driving Dany crazy. Jon pulled back from their kiss and walked her to the bed, pushing her down softly to lay on top of the duvet. He watched her with a dark look as she squirmed in front of him. She reached for him with his name whispered on her lips. He simply shook his head, leaned down and pulled her thong from her body. He knelt between her spread legs.

Dany’s head nearly exploded as she watched Jon kneel between her legs. He picked up her left leg and kissed the inside of her knee and continued to trail kisses up her thigh until he made it to the crease where it met her hip. He skipped over to the same spot on her right leg and kissed his way up to the knee. She was practically sobbing for relief by the time he was done. “Please Jon.” She whispered trying to grab him to pull him close. “Please what, Dany?” He smirked at her. “What do you want, honey?”

“You know what I want.” She countered to him. “Please.”

He shook his head. “Tell me what you want, Dany.”

She groaned before giving in. “Please make me come with your mouth.” She sighed as he leaned forward and stroked up her entrance with his tongue. He used his fingers to separate her folds and to rub gently at the bundle of nerves above her entrance. She groaned and moved her hand into his hair as he used the edge of his teeth to stimulate her. Jon pushed two fingers into her entrance and continued to lick at the area until she was ready to scream. She came with a rush, pulling hard on his hair as her entire body exploded in pleasure. She collapsed back onto the bed in a boneless pile as he kissed his way up her body, stopping to caress her breasts again for a long moment. He used his fingers to pinch her nipples back into tight buds.

Jon reached the space where her neck met her shoulder and bent to suckle and bite his mark onto her. He didn’t care who saw it, the whole world should know that this perfect woman belonged to him. Dany reached under his arms and pulled him the rest of the way up and over her. His lips met hers and feasted on her sweetness. It didn’t matter how long ago they’d eaten tiramisu, she still tasted like cocoa. She smelled like it too, every bit of her skin seemed infused with the bitter taste of dark chocolate and heat of chili flakes. It was a scent that stirred everything in him. He was hard as a rock and needed relief. He looked down into her eyes, silently asking her for permission. She nodded and kissed him again, pulling on his lower lip with her teeth.

He backed off and disposed of his underwear and opened the bedside drawer. He grabbed the foil packet and tore it open quickly. The condom slid easily into place and he turned back to the woman in his bed. She took his breath away laying on his dark bedding, her silver hair shining even brighter in the moonlight and her skin was perfect. Her violet eyes shone with heat and happiness. “You’re perfect. I want every night to be just like this, with you in my bed.” She smiled even wider at his confession. “After that performance, I think that could definitely be arranged.” She said softly. “Come here.” Dany held out her hand and urged him down on top of her.

As he settled, Dany lifted her legs and wrapped them around his. “Please, Jon. Please.” She begged him. Her back arched and she groaned as he pushed forward into her sheath. He was big and he stretched her in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. It seemed like every nerve ending was on fire inside Dany. Even more satisfying was the look in Jon’s eyes. They stared at each other as he entered her body until fully seated. “Dany…” He breathed.

“I know.” She said back, and she did. They both felt it. This was their person, their other half. Dany knew she would never feel anything better than this, than their connection. She had known it from the moment they met in the shop. “I need you to move, Jon.” He leaned down and gave her a quick hard kiss before withdrawing and pushing back in. His thrusts stayed excruciatingly slow for the first few minutes as she got used to feeling him inside of her. They found a rhythm against each other, their skin starting to stick with sweat as they moved faster. She dug her nails into her shoulders and hung on for dear life as he thrust with full force into her, the bed moving beneath them. “Jon.” She moaned.

“I’m close.” He responded. Another few thrusts and Jon knew he would be done. He couldn’t go before her. He reached down with one hand and found her bundle and quickly stroked in time with his thrusts. She groaned and tightened around him. She was so tight it felt like a vise on his cock. He grunted as he released into the condom. They lay for a long moment, both breathing hard, their sweaty foreheads pressed together. He leaned down and placed a soft, sweet kiss on her lips and carefully removed himself from her body. They both winced at the loss of contact between them.

He left to dispose of the condom in the bathroom and frowned when he saw her on her phone back in the bedroom. She looked up as he came back in and blushed. “I texted Sansa to tell her she’d have to open tomorrow and turned off my alarms. I hope that’s okay.”

“That’s more than okay.” Jon said back with a smile. “Besides, I don’t know how much sleep we’re really going to get tonight.”

She smiled deviously at him. “Do you have more plans, Jon Snow?” She asked playfully.

“So many more Daenerys Targaryen.” They weren’t all sexual either. He had plans to have every day of his life be filled with chocolate dreams and coffee mornings.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this and you aren't already reading my multi-chapter fic, The Pack Survives, please consider checking it out!


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